A Russian court on Monday sentenced in-absentia Oscar-nominated producer Alexander Rodnyansky to 8.5 years in prison for his criticism of the war in Ukraine.
Rodnyansky, according to Mediazona, a Russian news site, was convicted of “spreading fake news” about the war via several social media posts in 2022. The producer first criticized the war in March 2022, after a Russian missile attack on a maternity hospital in Ukraine.
Prior to being in the crosshairs of Vladimir Putin’s government, Rodnyansky was one of the country’s most successful producers. He was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, but gained his notoriety in Russia over the past few decades, earning two Oscar nominations for producing crime drama “Leviathan” in 2014 and “Loveless,” a drama movie, in 2017. More recently, he produced “Of Dogs and Men,” a movie on Hamas’ attack against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023.
Rodnyansky was able to flee Russia in 2022, after hearing his social media criticism had drawn the ire of the Kremlin. He was declared a “foreign agent” by the country in October 2022, and a year later, charged with “spreading false information” about the Russian army.
As of 2023, Rodnyansky was splitting his time between Ukraine, Los Angeles, and other parts of Europe.
Beyond the 8.5 year prison sentence he received on Monday, the Russian court also said he cannot post online for four years as part of his punishment.
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