Russia sentences Ukrainian media expert in absentia. Details

The verdict in Russia against media expert of the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) Irina Zemlyanaya was handed down by Judge Vitaly Belitsky, who systematically considers politically motivated cases against journalists and representatives of civil society in the Russian Federation. This was found out by experts of the Institute of Mass Information.

As IMI writes, Belitsky made his career during the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and the intensification of internal repression in Russia. on 4 January 2023, he was appointed a judge of the Moscow City Court by decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prior to that, he worked at the Koptevsky District Court of Moscow.

The judge systematically considers cases that international organisations and human rights activists consider politically motivated.

In particular, he works with cases under articles of the Russian Criminal Code that are often used for political persecution, such as "high treason", "spreading fakes about the Russian army" and other politically sensitive charges. These are both sentences and decisions on preventive measures, in particular detention in custody.

Belitsky has also ruled on cases against Russian politicians and academics.

According to IMI, the judge has been involved in both sentencing and detention decisions in cases linked to political persecution in Russia.

As is known, in March 2026, the Moscow City Court in Russia sentenced Irina Zemlyanaya in absentia to 13 years in a general regime colony. She was found guilty in Russia in a fabricated case.

The Russian Federation has put media expert Zemlyanaya on the wanted list: the criminal case alleges that she was allegedly involved in the attack on Russian Ambassador Sergey Andreev in Warsaw. Zemlyanaya denies the accusations and claims that the verdict is political and part of a pressure campaign, and that the case is completely fabricated.

The incident took place on 9 May 2022 in Warsaw. Then a group of protesters doused the Russian ambassador with red liquid when he tried to lay flowers at the cemetery-mausoleum of Soviet soldiers. The protesters had stains of red paint on their clothes, symbolising the blood of victims of Russia's war against Ukraine. They also chanted slogans "fascists", "Rashists" and "murderers".

Zemlyanaya, who took part in the action, was forced to leave Warsaw after the incident because of the threats.

Poland investigated the case of threats to Zemlyanaya's life by Russians and others. In June 2023, it became known that the Polish prosecutor's office suspended the investigation into the case of dousing the Russian ambassador with paint, recognising Irina as innocent.

Zemlyanaya said that the National Police of Ukraine opened criminal proceedings on her application after the incident in Warsaw with the Russian ambassador. Subsequently, the Shevchenkivskyi police department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kiev closed the criminal proceedings on the fact of threats to her life and disclosure of her personal data. However, the court ordered to reopen the investigation.

At the same time, Interpol has not yet decided whether to put Zemlyanaya on the international wanted list at Russia's request.

In February 2024, Iryna Zemlyanaya was added to the list of "terrorists and extremists" kept by the Russian Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring).

The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, asked the National Police, as a representative in Interpol, to protect Iryna Zemlyanaya from Russian persecution. In response, the National Police pledged to make sure that Russia would not allow Iryna Zemlyanaya to be prosecuted through Interpol.