A Moscow court has sentenced Russian independent journalist Darya Shipacheva to 12 years in prison on charges of alleged treason, prompting condemnation from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), which called for her immediate release.
Shipacheva, a science and medical journalist who previously worked for Forbes Russia and RBC, was arrested on April 23, 2025, at her apartment in Moscow.
According to IFJ and EFJ, the journalist had previously faced threats from the ultranationalist and misogynistic movement “Male State” because of her feminist views.
The trial was held behind closed doors, and details of the charges were not made public. Available information indicates that the case was launched over a financial transaction involving Ukraine. People close to Shipacheva said the money was intended for a relative of hers who was living there.
Shipacheva pleaded guilty and cooperated with investigators. The court imposed a 12-year prison sentence, which is reportedly the minimum punishment for treason, along with a fine of 300,000 rubles and the confiscation of approximately 1.56 million rubles.
The IFJ and EFJ said the journalist was convicted on what they described as unfounded charges following a closed trial that lasted around 90 minutes.
“The Kremlin must stop silencing journalists under false pretexts. Darya Shipacheva and all other detained journalists must be released,” the two journalist organizations said.
The federations described the case as part of a broader pattern of pressure against independent media in Russia, where journalists have increasingly faced criminal charges, imprisonment, and restrictions on their work.
