Russian Blogger Ilya Varlamov Sentenced to Eight Years in Absentia

A Moscow court has sentenced prominent Russian urbanist blogger Ilya Varlamov to eight years in prison and fined him 99 million rubles for allegedly spreading “false information” about the Russian military, Orda.kz reports, citing the Moscow prosecutor’s office.

The court found Varlamov guilty of knowingly disseminating false claims about the Russian Armed Forces. Investigators allege that, while abroad and “motivated by political hatred,” he published a video containing misinformation about the military’s actions.

Prosecutors also noted that Varlamov had twice faced administrative penalties for violating Russia’s foreign agent law by posting materials without the required labeling, stating he continued publishing such content on social media.

The criminal case followed an investigation by the Moscow prosecutor’s office. The trial was held in absentia, as Varlamov is not currently in Russia.

Varlamov is one of Russia’s most well-known bloggers specializing in urban issues. He has previously posted videos about Kazakhstan, including favorable coverage of Almaty and the newly built city of Alatau.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov