On 21 April 2024, a criminal case was opened against Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon by the Russian Investigative Committee. Russian authorities accused Gordon of inciting hatred and disseminating “fake” information about the Russian army – making him what was believed to be the first non-Russian citizen to be charged under the new law. Gordon is a well-known journalist and the outspoken host of “Visiting Dmitry Gordon” program, as well as the editor-in-chief of his own online publication. According to Russian authorities, he called for a war against Russia live on air at a Ukrainian TV channel and disseminated “fake” information about shelling and bombing of civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. He was charged with “publicly spreading knowingly false information about the Russian armed forces.”
UPDATE: On 22 July 2022, a court in Moscow ordered Gordon’s arrest in absentia. He is being charged with distributing false information about the Russian armed forces (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code), publicly encouraging a war of aggression (Article 354 of the Criminal Code), and publicly inciting violence (Article 282 of the Criminal Code). According to the court, the TV presenter, live on air, called for an “armed attack on the Russian Federation, as well as the incitement of a war of aggression against it through the use of nuclear weapons”. The court additionally claimed Gordon had called for the destruction of Russian citizens and spread false information about the targeting of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian armed forces. On July 19 Gordon was declared ‘wanted’ in Russia.
UPDATE: On 6 June 2024, Russian media reported that a military court in Moscow had received the case materials concerning Gordon and would proceed to examining his case. On 1 July, Gordon was sentenced to 14 years of prison in absentia.