Russian prisoners’ rights group Pervy Otdel reported on Friday that a Moscow court sentenced Aleksandr Strukov, the erstwhile photographer affiliated with incarcerated opposition figure Aleksei Navalny, to an eight-year prison sentence. The charges brought against him encompassed allegations of public calls for terrorism, inciting hatred, and violating citizens’ rights to practice religion.

Strukov faced charges under three specific articles of the Criminal Code, namely: incitement to terrorist activities (Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code), promotion of hatred or enmity (Paragraph ‘a’ of Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code), and infringement upon the right to religious freedom (Part 1 of Article 148 of the Criminal Code), as reported by Present Time. These charges stem from Strukov’s online statements, notably disseminated via his Telegram channel of Znak.com, which suspended publication in March 2022 in the aftermath of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

After his arrest in January this year, Strukov faced a fine of 200,000 rubles (€2,000) and a ban from running a website for two years after his release. His conviction follows the recent arrest of the three lawyers who represented Navalny. The three men were detained on charges of participation in an extremist group allegedly led by Navalny.

In the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the Russian government has increasingly drawn international attention due to its stringent crackdown on free journalism, media dissent, and the press. This has resulted in the detention and legal charges levied against a substantial number of local and international journalists, with Strukov being the latest addition to this list.