On 29 August 2023, a court in Moscow sentenced independent journalists Ruslan Leviev and Michael Nacke to 11 years of prison each, on aggravated charges of disseminating what Russian authorities claim is “fake news” about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine. Both journalists were also forbidden from uploading materials on the internet for a period of five years. A prosecutor in the case had earlier demanded 13 years of prison for Leviev and Nacke.

Leviev, who specializes as a military analyst and blogger, said the case against him was opened for a Youtube video in which he mentioned the Russian bombing of a children’s hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine, during the siege of the city by Russia in March 2022. In a document stating the charges against the journalist, investigators wrote that Russia denies involvement in the bombing. Leviev was accused of “conciously spreading false information motivated by political hatred”.

Former Echo of Moscow journalist Michael Nacke also said a second case had been opened against him, without however specifying the motive or the status of this case.

Ruslan Leviev already faced criminal prosecution in May in an earlier case of spreading what Russian authorities deem to be “fake” information about the country’s military and its operations in Ukraine. Leviev is the founder of the Conflict Intelligence Team, which investigates military conflicts based on open data, and is a former broadcast director at Newcaster.TV. Leviev was also listed as a “wanted” person by the Ministry of Interior.

A court in Moscow had also earlier issued an arrest warrant for journalist Michael Nacke for spreading what it deemed to be “fake news” about the Russian army. Nacke, who runs his own YouTube channel focused on political and social issues, had discussed the war in Ukraine and the shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on YouTube with Conflict Intelligence Team founder Ruslan Leviev, who was prosecuted separately.