Russia sentences Channel 24 host Fahrudin Sharafmal to 7 years in prison in absentia

A court in Russia sentenced Ukrainian journalist and Channel 24 host Fahrudin Sharafmal to seven years in prison in absentia, convicting him of "inciting hatred, rehabilitating Nazism and calls for extremism."

The ruling was passed by the Moscow City Court on July 26, reports Mediazona.

According to the Russian investigation, on March 15, 2022, Sharafmal publicly called on Ukrainians to mass murder "citizens of the Russian Federation, including children" on Channel 24.

Fahrudin Sharafmal, photo from his Facebook

"He drew on the ideology of Nazi criminals to justify his calls, namely that of Adolf Eichmann, whose image he displayed on the air," noted the Russian investigative committee. Sharafmal issued an apology the following day after the broadcast.

In April 2022, Rosfinmonitoring added him to the list of organizations and individuals considered to be involved in extremist activities or terrorism.

Fahrudin Sharafmal / Farid Sharafmal is the author and host of the YouTube channel "Farid Speaks". He is also an author and host of Channel 24's analyrical programming team.

On July 1, a court in Russia sentenced Dmytro Gordon, the owner of the media outlet "Gordon", to 14 years in prison in absentia. He was convicted of calls for a war of aggression; inciting hatred with violent threats; public appeals to justify terrorism; spreading "fakes" about the Russian army.