On Thursday, the Tallinn Circuit Court left the decision of Harju County Court unchanged. The requests of Svetlana Burceva and her defender remained unsatisfied.
Harju County Court found Burceva guilty in June. She violated international sanctions and committed treason. She was sentenced to six years in prison.
The start of the sentence is considered to be February 28, 2024. This is the day Burceva was arrested. The defender's request for compensation was left unsatisfied.
Burceva worked for the Russian media company RIA Rossija Segodnja. The head of this company, Dmitri Kisseljov, is on the sanctions list. Burceva wrote articles and took photos.
Burceva was also accused of anti-Estonian activities. She assisted foreigner Roman Romatšev and the Russian organization R-Tehnod.
The court found that Romatšev is a reserve officer of the FSB. He heads the private intelligence company R-Techno. The company deals with information warfare and psychological operations.
The court believed that the purpose of Burceva and Romatšev's relationship was to collaborate. They wanted to write texts that would support Russian foreign policy.
Burceva co-authored a book with Romatšev. The book contained propaganda and false information. It criticized the state's power.
The court found that Burceva violated international sanctions for several years. She committed treason intentionally.
Harju County Court sentenced Burceva to six years in prison. The decision of Tallinn Circuit Court has not yet entered into force.