Alexander Nozdrinov, 38, ran a small Youtube channel where he posted videos of highway patrol officers from his home region of Krasnodar allegedly breaking the law.

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He was detained in March 2022 after investigators accused him of posting a photo of destroyed buildings on social media with the caption: “Ukrainian cities after the arrival of liberators”.

His wife Ekaterina vehemently denied had posted the image, in an interview with the SOTA media outlet which alleged his arrest was orchestrated by local police as revenge for his videos.

The court service in Krasnodar on Friday maintained that Nozdrinov had sent the photo, and said it had been found by officers from the Krasnodar region Federal Security Service.

“He was sentenced to eight years and six months’ imprisonment in a general regime colony,” the court said, also banning him from working in the media for four years.

Since unleashing full-scale hostilities against Ukraine last year, Russia has waged an unprecedented crackdown on dissent, jailing or fining dozens who oppose the authorities.