Russian Author Boris Akunin Sentenced to 14 Years in Absentia

A military court in Moscow has sentenced acclaimed Russian writer Boris Akunin (real name Grigory Chkhartishvili) to 14 years in prison in absentia. The 2nd Western District Military Court found him guilty of aiding terrorist activity, publicly justifying terrorism, and failing to comply with obligations as a registered foreign agent. The verdict stipulates that Akunin will serve the first four years in a high-security prison and the remaining term in a strict-regime penal colony. He was also fined 400,000 rubles and banned from administering websites for four years. The trial lasted one day and was held without Akunin’s participation, as he resides in the United Kingdom. The prosecution, led by state prosecutor Natalia Makarova, had demanded an 18-year sentence and a five-year post-release ban on managing websites.