Russia frees journalist convicted of 'justifying terrorism'

MOSCOW: A Russian journalist who faced six years in prison after being convicted of “justifying terrorism” was released with a fine on Wednesday in a rare lenient ruling. A judge at a military court in Moscow found Nadezhda Kevorkova guilty of “publicly justifying and calling for terrorism” in posts, Russian news agencies reported. The respected 66-year-old journalist specialises in the Middle East.

But the judge Roman Vladimirov released her in the courtroom with a 600,000-ruble ($6,900) fine, reduced from 700,000 rubles because she had been held in detention since last May.

The verdict came after Kevorkova´s lawyer told the court that the father of Alina Kabaeva -- a former Olympic gymnast widely rumoured to be the partner of President Vladimir Putin -- had offered to be her guarantor, the Mediazona website reported.