Russian court sentences TV anchor Natalya Moseychuk to 5 years in prison in absentia

Natalya Moseychuk, photo by the 1+1 Media press office

The court in Moscow (Russia) sentenced Natalya Moseychuk, a TV anchor at the Ukrainian TV channel "1+1" to five years in prison for "inciting hatred and enmity".

The judgement was passed in absentia by the Basmanny Court of Moscow on July 31, reports Mediazona.

The case against Moseichuk was opened over a March 20, 2022 livestream when, according to the Russian investigation, she "made statements contemptuous of Russians and justified violence against them." She was also accused of "inciting hatred".

The TV host responded to another shelling strike on Ukraine on the United News telethon. She reminded the Russian troops and their relatives of responsibility. In particular, Natalya Moseychuk said that the wives of Russian soldiers should be "afraid and understand that sooner or later" they would be widowed. She advised the fiancées of Russian pilots to "find themselves some black veils."

The Basmanny court began trying the case against the TV host in absentia on May 7, 2023.

In July 2023, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs declared 1+1 news anchor Natalya Moseychuk wanted. Russia's investigation committee opened a case against Moseychuk for "calling for violence against Russian pilots and their relatives." She was accused of "making death threats to Russian pilots and their relatives while on air" and "expressing a misanthropic attitude and uttering real threats."

On March 20, 2022, the Russian Telegram channel "Troika" announced a "hunt" for Moseychuk, and by the end of that day, the channel leaked the TV anchor's personal data.

Other Ukrainian journalists convicted by Russia

On July 29, a court in Moscow (Russia) has sentenced Ukrainian journalist Oleksandr Prepodobny to eight years in prison in absentia for a "fake" article about the Russian army.

On July 26, 2024, 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."

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.