Russia sentences retired Ukrainian journalist Iryna
The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the 15-year prison sentence given to retired Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko by a Russian-controlled
A Russian-controlled court in occupied Ukraine has sentenced retired journalist Iryna Levchenko to 15 years in prison. The 64-year-old was convicted on espionage charges, a verdict condemned by press freedom groups as a political abuse of justice.
The Zaporizhzhia Regional Court announced the sentence on September 4, 2026, according to media reports. The court stated Levchenko was charged with passing information to Ukrainian intelligence services. In a Telegram post, the court referred to her only as "L., born in 1961," though footage confirmed her identity.
CPJ condemns verdict as abuse
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called for Levchenko's immediate and unconditional release. Fiona O'Brien, CPJ's Europe and Central Asia regional director, said the sentence represents an outrageous abuse of the criminal justice system. She demanded Russian authorities release Levchenko and all other detained Ukrainian journalists.
Levchenko, from the occupied city of Melitopol, was detained by Russian forces in May 2023 alongside her husband, Oleksandr. She had worked for Ukrainian outlets including Noviy Den, Mltpl.City, and Fakty i Kommentarii but left journalism in February 2022 after the occupation began. Her husband was released in August 2024.
Family fears a 'hidden death sentence'
Levchenko's family expressed despair over the verdict. Her sister, Olena Rudenko, told the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) that the sentence equates to a death sentence for a woman of her age. "On September 16, Iryna will turn 65." Rudenko said. She fears the family will never see Levchenko again without a prisoner exchange.
Sergiy Tomilenko, president of NUJU, called the sentence illegal and demanded her release. CPJ has previously reported that Levchenko was held in harsh conditions with severely limited family contact. It remains unclear if her 3.5 years in pretrial detention will count toward the 15-year term.
Calls for international action
CPJ has urged the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to prioritize the release of Ukrainian journalists detained by Russia. This includes Levchenko and Anastasiya Glukhovska, detained in 2023. The organization emailed the Russian-installed Prosecutor's Office in Zaporizhzhia for comment but received no reply.
Rudenko told CPJ the family is now waiting to learn where Levchenko will serve her sentence.
