EU state jails journalist for working with Russian media
An Estonian court has sentenced journalist Svetlana Burtseva to six years in prison for treason and breaching Western sanctions over her work with Russian media, state broadcaster ERR reported on Wednesday.
Burtseva, 58, a naturalized Estonian citizen, previously worked for Sputnik Estonia until it was banned in 2019. The authorities say she continued writing under a pseudonym for Baltnews, a portal operated by the EU-sanctioned Russian media group Rossiya Segodnya.
The Harju District Court ruled that by writing articles and providing photographs to Baltnews, Burtseva had effectively made 'economic resources available' to Rossiya Segodnya, whose chief executive, Dmitry Kiselyov, is also under Western financial sanctions, according to the court spokesperson.
'[The defendant's] collaboration with media outlets linked to Kiselyov can be considered a considerable contribution,' the court stated. 'However, it must be taken into account that the number of articles was not very high for the time span in question,' it added.
Prosecutors also cited her alleged contact with Roman Romachev, whom they described as an operative engaged in 'information warfare and psychological operations' on behalf of Russia.
Burtseva was further accused of authoring a book titled 'Hybrid War for Peace,' which the court claimed aimed to discredit Estonian state institutions. It concluded that she had 'committed treason intentionally,' but noted that her level of guilt was minor and she had no prior convictions.
Burtseva became a naturalized Estonian citizen in 1994. The authorities allege she continued publishing content for Baltnews under the name Alan Torm between 2020 and 2023 and studied at Sevastopol State University in Russia from 2019 to 2021. She was arrested in February 2024.
Russia has condemned the case as politically motivated. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Burtseva was being punished for her journalism and critical views of the Estonian government.
Commenting on the case at the time, Zakharova noted that 'similar to other 'advanced democracies' of the Baltics, Estonia continues to systematically use repression as a routine tool for quashing dissent.'
Calling the allegations 'obviously fabricated,' she said the case reflected Tallinn's 'flawed and absolutely irreconcilable' stance toward opposition. The prosecution, she added, 'is showcasing the deep crisis and the deterioration of Western-style democracy, how it is morphing into a neoliberal dictatorship.'
The court ruling can be appealed within 30 days.
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