Russian authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Russian-American female journalist and writer, who earlier this year faced charges of spreading misinformation regarding Moscow’s actions in the Ukraine conflict.
Identified as Masha Gessen, the details including date of birth, gender, and nationality are listed by Russia’s Interior Ministry, yet specifics about the allegations remain undisclosed.
Gessen, is nonbinary and transgender, relocating to New York in 2013 amid Russia’s tightening restrictions against the LGBT community.
A vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin for years, Gessen was charged in August for alleged “war fakes” related to comments made during a September 2022 interview with popular YouTuber Yury Dud’, discussing the massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, as reported by independent broadcaster Dozhd last month.
Moscow refutes allegations of atrocities in Bucha, instead accusing Kyiv and its Western allies of fabricating events.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, disseminating “knowingly false information” about the Russian military was outlawed, carrying penalties from fines to a maximum of 15 years in prison.
As of mid-2023, the UN estimates that nearly 200 individuals have faced prosecution for spreading “fake news” concerning the Russian military.
