Estonia Convicts Journalist of Treason Over Russian Media Collaboration

(MENAFN) An Estonian court has handed a six-year prison sentence to journalist Svetlana Burtseva after convicting her of treason and violating Western sanctions due to her continued collaboration with Russian state-affiliated media, local media reported Wednesday.

The 58-year-old, who became a naturalized Estonian citizen in 1994, had previously worked with Sputnik Estonia until the outlet was shut down by Estonian authorities in 2019. Despite the ban, officials said Burtseva resumed her journalism under the alias “Alan Torm,” contributing content to Baltnews—a site operated by Rossiya Segodnya, a Russian media entity sanctioned by the European Union.

The Harju District Court determined that Burtseva’s submission of articles and photographs to Baltnews amounted to providing “economic resources available” to Rossiya Segodnya, a Russian media group led by Dmitry Kiselyov, who is also subject to Western financial sanctions, according to a court spokesperson.

“[The defendant’s] collaboration with media outlets linked to Kiselyov can be considered a considerable contribution,” the court stated. “However, it must be taken into account that the number of articles was not very high for the time span in question,” it added.

Prosecutors also alleged that Burtseva had ties to Roman Romachev, described by authorities as a Russian operative involved in “information warfare and psychological operations.”

The case against Burtseva included her authorship of a book titled ‘Hybrid War for Peace,’ which the court argued sought to undermine the credibility of Estonian government institutions. The judges concluded that her actions amounted to intentional treason but noted that her culpability was limited and she had no prior criminal history.

Officials stated that between 2020 and 2023, Burtseva continued her work for Baltnews while residing in Estonia, and studied at Sevastopol State University in Russian-occupied Crimea between 2019 and 2021. She was taken into custody in February 2024.

The Russian government has denounced the ruling, calling it politically driven. In a statement, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Burtseva was targeted for her journalism and for challenging Estonia’s leadership.

Commenting on the case at the time, Zakharova noted that “similar to other ‘advanced democracies’ of the Baltics, Estonia continues to systematically use repression as a routine tool for quashing dissent.”

Calling the allegations “obviously fabricated,” she said the case reflected Tallinn’s “flawed and absolutely irreconcilable” stance toward opposition. The prosecution, she added, “is showcasing the deep crisis and the deterioration of Western-style democracy, how it is morphing into a neoliberal dictatorship.”

The verdict is subject to appeal within 30 days.
 

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