A Russian court has sentenced a photographer, Grigory Skvortsov, to 16years imprisonment over charges of treason perpetrated against the country’s government.
Skvortsov was arrested in 2023 by the Russian government for sharing information on the Soviet-era underground bunkers with an unidentified American journalist who visited the country.
At the court sitting yesterday, it was disclosed that since the country invaded neighboring country, Ukraine, in 2022, there has been an expansion of the constitution of state secrets, which has led to the conviction of academics, scientists, and journalists who were deemed violators of the laws.
However, the convict was listed among individuals subjected to criminal prosecution that may be politically motivated and marked by serious legal violations.
Despite the conviction, Skvortsov denied any wrongdoing, alleging that officers of the Federal Security Service beat him during his arrest in November 2023 and forced him to admit guilt to treason.
The court in the western city of Perm ordered Skvortsov to serve his sentence in a maximum security correctional camp.
