Metro 2033 author and creator Dmitry Glukhovsky has been sentenced to eight years in prison after Russia ruled that he had spread misinformation on its armed forces via social media.
As reported by AP News, not long after Russia invaded Ukraine, it passed a bill that allows for up to 15-year prison sentences for "disseminating fake news" that discredits Russia's narrative. The supposed fake news Glukhovsky is guilty of spreading is the accusation of Russian soldiers committing crimes in Ukraine such as bombing homes, schools, and hospitals, while committing mass killings and rapings of underage Ukrainian school girls.
Glukhovsky made these posts outside of Russia, but he was tried despite not being physically present. He has been on a Russian interior ministry wanted list since as far back as June 2022 after posting that the war in Ukraine "unleashed by Putin is becoming more terrible and inhuman every day, and the pretexts under which it was started look more and more insignificant and false". He was also labelled as a "foreign agent" in October of last year.
The post Glukhovsky believes spurred on these charges was one he made last year referencing Vladimir Putin; "An ageing [man] is trying to reclaim his political libido and book himself a place in history by starting a short and victorious war. Burnt down cars and destroyed homes, families torn apart, thousands of murdered civilians and millions of refugees: is it too much of a price to pay for a great purpose?"
Russia put out a warrant for Glukhovsky's arrest in early July, but he is not the first artist or politician to catch Russia's ire. Lawyer, opposition leader, and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny was placed into solitary confinement for two weeks over a conviction of extremism charges on top of a 19-year sentence. Glukhovsky is currently in exile and not in Russia, but nevertheless, he has been charged.
Not only is Glukhovsky an author, well-known for his Metro 2033 series which spawned the games of the same name, but also a journalist. He worked as an editor for Gosteleradio, even getting a degree in Israel after learning Hebrew. In his time as an author and journalist, he has denounced Russian leadership and government time and time again, even before its invasion of Ukraine. In 2021, he announced his support for Navalny who was arrested at an airport when returning to Russia, publicly demanding his release.
If you want to support those in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries suffering from Russia's invasion, you can donate to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which helps "DEC charities provide food, water, shelter, and healthcare to families [...] and refugees".