MOSCOW: A Russian court said on Thursday it had sentenced a photographer to 16 years in jail for treason after a closed-door trial, without giving details of the charges.
Grigory Skvortskov, 35, said while in pre-trial detention he had given a US journalist a book about Soviet bunkers and other material — but that the information was declassified and publicly available online.
Russia has escalated a crackdown on rights at home since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Alongside targeting opponents and critics of the Kremlin, authorities have become increasingly suspicious of journalists, scientists and academics with ties to the West.
The Perm Regional Court said it had “sentenced him (Skvortsov) to 16 years’ imprisonment in a strict regime penal colony”.
It said he had pleaded not guilty to treason.
The trial was carried out behind closed doors — typical for treason cases in Russia — and prosecutors have not publicly outlined the case against Skvortsov.
In a written interview with Russian rights group Perviy Otdel (”Department One”) conducted while he was in custody, Skvortsov said investigators had questioned him about sending a book about Soviet-era bunkers to an unnamed US journalist, along with other architectural plans and photos.
He said the book and other materials were publicly available online and feature only declassified material.
Skvortsov, who specialises in architecture photography, has spoken out publicly against Moscow’s military offensive on Ukraine.
He alleged FSB officers beat him during his arrest in November 2023 and said they tried to force him under duress to admit guilt to treason.
