U.S. journalist and writer Masha Gessen has been found guilty by a Moscow court of spreading false information about the military and has been given an eight-year prison sentence. Gessen, who is originally from Moscow but currently resides in the U.S., is known for her critical views of Russian President Vladimir Putin and her work as a staff writer for The New Yorker and a columnist for The New York Times.

The charges against Gessen stem from statements made in an interview with Russian online blogger Yury Dud regarding the atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha earlier this year. Russian authorities accused Gessen of spreading misinformation following the discovery of over 400 bodies, including men, women, and children, in Bucha after Ukrainian troops reclaimed the town from retreating Russian forces.

Gessen, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, has been living in the U.S. since 2013 due to anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passed in Russia. Despite the conviction, it is unlikely that Gessen will face imprisonment in Russia unless they travel to a country with an extradition treaty with Moscow.

The Russian government has faced criticism for its crackdown on dissent since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. Over 1,000 criminal cases have been brought against anti-war protesters in Russia, according to the OVD-Info rights group, which monitors political arrests and provides legal assistance.

In a separate case on the same day, Russian citizen Richard Rose was also convicted of spreading false information about the Russian military’s actions in Bucha and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Rose, who expressed strong sentiments against the atrocities in Bucha in a video, declared himself a political prisoner and maintained his views during his final speech to the court, as reported by the monitoring group.