Russian-American Journalist Masha Gessen Added to Russia's Wanted List

Gessen faces charges for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army, marking a further escalation in Russia's crackdown on dissent following its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen has been put on Russia's wanted list, with a criminal case opened against them for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army.
The charges stem from an interview Gessen conducted with Russian journalist Yury Dud, in which they discussed alleged atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Ukraine.
Since the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 19,844 people have been detained and 776 implicated in criminal cases for expressing anti-war stances, according to the OVD-Info rights group.
Gessen, who holds dual citizenship and resides in the U.S., is unlikely to be arrested unless they travel to a country with an extradition treaty with Russia. However, they could still be tried in absentia and face up to 10 years in prison.
Pressure is also mounting on dissidents imprisoned in Russia, with reports of significant health deterioration and inadequate medical treatment.