Putin critic Masha Gessen convicted in absentia by Russian court

US-based journalist Masha Gessen — a staunch critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin — was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for spreading false information about the Russian military.

Gessen was put on a Moscow wanted list in December for making false statements about the 2022 atrocities committed by the Russian military in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, local media first reported.

Moscow maintains that its troops only targeted military assets, not civilians.

Gessen, who uses they/them pronouns, lived in Russia until 2013 when Moscow passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, then resettled in New York City. They are unlikely to face imprisonment unless they travel to a country that has an extradition agreement with Russia.