Moscow Court Jails Journalist Daria Shipacheva 12 Years for Treason
A Moscow court sentenced journalist Daria Shipacheva to 12 years in prison for treason, linked to a wire transfer she made to a Ukrainian relative. The trial lasted 90 minutes and was held behind closed doors.
Verdict and Charges
A Moscow judge on Wednesday found journalist Daria Shipacheva guilty of treason and sentenced her to 12 years in prison, the exiled outlet Mediazona reported. According to the science outlet T-Invariant, which cited five sources close to Shipacheva, who was born in Ukraine, the conviction stems from a wire transfer she made to a Ukrainian family member. Investigators reinterpreted the purpose of the transfer, building the entire treason case around it.
Trial Details
Shipacheva was arrested in April 2025 and initially held in a detention facility in Rostov-on-Don, later transferred to Moscow's Lefortovo prison. Her trial lasted just 90 minutes and was conducted behind closed doors. Shipacheva's family and a court-appointed lawyer declined to release any details about her arrest or trial. A friend told T-Invariant that she initially opposed drawing public attention for fear of a harsher sentence, but recently asked reporters to attend the sentencing hearing.
Reaction
Independent outlet Sotavision published a video showing Shipacheva's shocked reaction to the verdict. Her defense team requested a lighter sentence, citing her cooperation with law enforcement and guilty plea.
Journalist's Background
Between 2019 and 2025, Shipacheva worked as a freelance medical journalist for Forbes Russia, as well as outlets like RBC and Takie Dela. Before her arrest, she was subjected to online harassment by the banned ultra-nationalist group "Male State" over her feminist views.
Context
According to the exiled outlet Vyorstka, Russian courts convicted a record 312 people on charges of treason, espionage, and illegal cooperation with a foreign state in the first half of 2026.
