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Russia sentences Meduza contributor Asya Zolnikova in absentia to two and a half years in prison for involvement with an ‘undesirable’ organization

Source: Moscow Prosecutor's Office

A Russian court has sentenced journalist and Meduza contributor Asya Zolnikova in absentia to two and a half years in prison on charges of participating in the activities of an organization designated as “undesirable” by Russian authorities, the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office said.

The case stemmed from Zolnikova’s work for Meduza, the agency said.

In 2024, Zolnikova was fined under a similar administrative offense. According to her lawyer, that case stemmed from an article she wrote for Meduza describing how recent wars have changed the appearance of cities around the world. The prosecutor’s office said two more of her articles have since appeared on the outlet’s website but did not specify which ones.

In June, security officials searched the home of Zolnikova’s mother.

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