Russia demands 24-yr sentence for ex-journo in espionage trial

Moscow 31 August : The prosecutor in the case of espionage of the former Russian journalist Ivan Safronov has demanded a 24 year prison term in a court in Moscow declared.

Safronovs lawyer rebuffed the allegations at the beginning of the trial, explaining that the journalist only utilized sources that were easily accessible to the public.Safronov was taken into custody more than two years ago, and has been in prison ever since.

He often wrote about security and military issues for newspapers like Kommersant as well as Vedomosti.Prior to his arrest, he was employed by Roscosmos.Russian agency for space Roscosmos.

According to a lawyers association the official of the prosecution gave Safronov the possibility of 12 years in prison in the event that the former journalist admitted his guilt.