Russia sentences journalist Vasilisa Shishkina to 12 years in jail on treason charges

Berlin, August 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Russian authorities to swiftly clarify the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of journalist Vasilisa Shishkina on treason charges and her subsequent sentencing in May to 12 years in prison amid reports that she was targeted because of her work.

Shishkina, an editor at the regional outlet Nomer Odin in Russia’s eastern Republic of Buryatia, was sentenced on May 21 by the Supreme Court of Buryatia, her lawyer Vasily Dubkov said in a video posted to his Telegram channel on August 6 after a court in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk upheld the sentence. 

Shishkina’s trial was held behind closed doors, Dubkov said, without providing any further details beyond the sentence. 

“The prosecution and sentencing of Russian journalist Vasilisa Shishkina has been shrouded in secrecy and authorities have given no details of the charges against her amid reports that she was targeted for her work,” said Carlos Martínez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director. “Russian authorities should immediately explain why Vasilisa Shishkina was prosecuted and sentenced and, more broadly, stop using politically motivated charges to silence the press.”

Evgeny Smirnov, a lawyer with the independent Russian human rights project Perviy Otdel, speaking to CPJ from exile, said the case stemmed from Shishkina “writing and publishing articles for a media outlet deemed ‘undesirable’ in Russia.” He did not reveal the name of the outlet and CPJ was unable to independently verify his remarks. 

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Shishkina reported on alleged violations of the rights of mobilized men from Buryatia, according to independent media reports.

She has been in custody in Novosibirsk since July 17, 2025, according to her lawyer. Her case remained largely out of the public eye, in part because her family believed that keeping details private could improve the chances of receiving a more lenient sentence, a source close to the case told CPJ.

Shishkina received the minimum sentence for the offense of treason.

CPJ emailed the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Buryatia for a comment but did not receive a reply.