The presenter of Dozhd, Mikhail Fishman, has been sentenced in absentia to two years in prison for his work at the TV channel.

The Simonovsky District Court in Moscow has sentenced Dozhd presenter Mikhail Fishman in absentia to two years in a general regime penal colony for involvement in activities of an “undesirable organisation” (part 1 of Article 284.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). Mediazona reports.

In addition, the journalist has been banned from administering online resources for three years. The prosecutor had requested three years in a penal colony and a four-year ban for Fishman.

According to the prosecution, Fishman continued working at Dozhd due to longstanding disagreement with Russian government policies and his dislike for the president and the Russian military. The defence noted that Fishman is essentially being persecuted for his professional activity, and that the investigation has not identified any specific actions constituting a crime.

The Prosecutor General’s Office declared organisations linked to Dozhd “undesirable” in July 2023. Fishman became the first Dozhd staff member to face criminal charges for involvement in the activities of an “undesirable organisation.”

In October, Dozhd’s general director Mark Ten was sentenced in absentia to five years in a penal colony for organising the activities of an “undesirable organisation” (part 3 of Article 284.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). The founder of the TV channel, Natalia Sindeeva, is also being tried in absentia under the same article.