A Ukrainian court issued a sentence in absentia against Russian blogger and journalist Yulia Vityazeva (Lozanova), sentencing her to 11 years in prison for the alleged confiscation of her property. The ruling was reported by the Lviv city publication Zapad, which covers regional judicial decisions and related news from western Ukraine [Zapad, Lviv city publication].
The Lviv Galitsky District Court found Vityazeva guilty of information cooperation with Russia and of justifying Moscow’s actions in Ukraine. The court noted that the journalist previously resided in Odessa before relocating to the Russian Federation in 2015 and obtaining Russian citizenship in 2020, a sequence the authorities cited as relevant to the case [Zapad, Lviv city publication].
According to the court, January 2023 saw the Ukrainian Security Council place Vityazeva on sanctions lists, a step that reflects ongoing efforts to regulate foreign media figures connected to the conflict landscape in Ukraine [Zapad, Lviv city publication].
In related proceedings, the court also reported that 52 deputies of the State Duma were sentenced in absentia for assisting Russian President Vladimir Putin in initiating what Kyiv characterizes as a special military operation in Ukraine. Those lawmakers facing the same in absentia verdict received sentences of 15 years in prison, according to the court’s account [Zapad, Lviv city publication].
Previously, authorities indicated that a number of State Duma deputies—20 in total—were held under a deadline linked to the seizure of property under the same article, illustrating the broader legal actions pursued in response to the conflict and perceived involvement of foreign actors [Zapad, Lviv city publication].
Officially, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has addressed terminology used in discussions about race relations and discrimination, with the term “racism” entering public discourse as part of legislative and societal debates. These developments reflect ongoing reforms and policy conversations within Ukraine’s political system [Zapad, Lviv city publication].