At 24 years old, journalist Artiom Kriger was sentenced to prison for speaking the truth. From his cell, he shared an emotional message about courage, freedom, and press oppression in Russia, criticizing the Putin regime.Independent journalist Artiom Kriger, aged 24, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in Russia, charged with extremist activity. Before his sentencing, he delivered a powerful statement denouncing press oppression and condemning the regime led by Vladimir Putin, reports Blikk.Despite the dangers, Kriger chose to stay in Russia and continued to write about the realities of the country. He considers himself a true patriot who dreams of a democratic Russia, where state powers are separated and the press is free.”I want to tell the story of a free man in a free country! My name is Artiom Kriger, I am 24 years old, and in February 2025, sitting in a special block of Matroskaia Tishina pre-trial detention center, I am writing my final statement,” the young journalist transmitted.Freedom of expression treated as a crime
Kriger described the charges against him as “total madness,” emphasizing that all he did was exercise his duty as an honest, incorruptible, and independent journalist.”I am here simply because I have dutifully fulfilled my professional duties as an honest, incorruptible, and independent journalist for 4-5 years. The basis of the accusation is my activity as ‘a member of an extremist community’.”He paraphrased the famous quote from George Orwell: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
