Buryatia Court Sentences Journalist Vasilisa Shishkina to 12 Years in Penal Colony on Treason Charges

The Supreme Court of the Republic of Buryatia has convicted journalist Vasilisa Shishkina, a reporter for the regional outlet Nomer Odin (Номер один), of treason and sentenced her to 12 years in a penal colony, her lawyer has said. The sentence was originally handed down on May 21, and an appellate hearing took place on August 6, according to a notice from Shishkina’s attorney, Vasily Dubkov, reported by the media outlet Mediazona.

Details of the accusations against Shishkina have not been made public. Her lawyer told reporting outlets that the proceedings were held behind closed doors on the grounds of state secrecy, and for that reason he was unable to provide more detailed information about the substance of the case. He quoted the court as saying: "Дело рассматривалось в закрытом судебном заседании в связи с государственной тайной. В связи с чем более подробную информацию сообщить не могу".

Shishkina has been in custody since July 17, 2025. The timeline provided by her defense indicates that the initial sentencing occurred in late May, with the appeal being heard in August. At the appellate hearing the court made a procedural adjustment to how days spent in pre-trial detention are accounted for in relation to the final sentence: the court rescinded an earlier practice of counting each day in pre-trial detention as more than one day of service toward a penal colony term (specifically, one day in a remand center equating to one and a half days in a colony), and instead recalculated the term on a one-for-one basis.

Beyond the information released by Shishkina’s lawyer and reported by Mediazona and Radio Svoboda, no official statement from the court or the prosecution detailing the nature of the treason charges has been made public. The closed nature of the proceedings and the invocation of state secrecy mean that the factual basis for the conviction — including any alleged acts, evidence introduced, or witnesses called — remains unavailable to the public and to press reporting.

Shishkina’s conviction and sentence add to a pattern in which Russian authorities have pursued criminal charges against journalists and media figures, frequently citing national security or classified information as a basis for limiting access to case materials. Because the present case was conducted under restrictions tied to state secrets, the lack of open court records prevents independent verification of the prosecution’s claims and constrains outside scrutiny of the legal process in this instance.

Shishkina’s employer, Nomer Odin, and other independent Russian media organizations have not, as of the latest reports, published additional details about the case beyond confirming the reporter’s identity and her employment. Mediazona and Radio Svoboda have carried the lawyer’s account and provided the available procedural details.

With Shishkina’s imprisonment order now finalized by the regional court process, the practical implications are that she will serve a lengthy term in a penal colony subject to the Russian penitentiary system. Her lawyer’s report on the appellate recalculation of pre-trial detention credit modifies how much of the sentence will be considered already served, but does not alter the overall custodial term imposed. The closed nature of the case and the treason charge will likely limit further public disclosure unless additional information is released by the authorities or by defense representatives.

The case raises broader issues about transparency in criminal proceedings, particularly when state secrecy is invoked, and underscores ongoing concerns among press freedom observers about legal risks faced by journalists in politically sensitive cases. For now, the central facts that can be independently confirmed are that Vasilisa Shishkina, a journalist for Nomer Odin, has been sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony on treason charges following closed hearings in the Supreme Court of Buryatia, and that she has been held in custody since July 17, 2025.