Russia jails student for 15 years on treason and terrorism charges over Telegram channel. He attempted suicide before his arrest, in pretrial detention, and during prison transfer.

A Russian military court has sentenced Rafael Mamedov, a 23-year-old student and creator of the Telegram channel “Svobodnaya Laplandiya” (“Free Lapland”), to 15 years in prison on charges of treason and participation in an organization Russian authorities have designated as terrorist. The Northern Fleet Military Court in Severomorsk handed down the sentence on June 1, according to OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights monitor.