09/12/2022 (Agence Europe) – The spokesperson for the European External Action Service denounced the sentencing earlier today by a Moscow court of Russian politician Ilya Yashin to eight and a half years in prison for reporting on atrocities committed by Russia’s armed forces against Ukrainian civilians in Bucha. “Russia’s so-called ‘fake news’ law, which was used in this case, aims at censoring and silencing independent voices and at preventing them from questioning, criticising and reporting factually” on the war in Ukraine, he said in a statement. The spokesperson said the ruling was “politically motivated” and “unacceptable”, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Yashin and all other “political prisoners” in Russia. (CG)