Oleg Bessedin convicted of anti-Estonian activities – seven years imprisonment
Harju County Court convicted pro-Kremlin propagandist Oleg Bessedin of crimes against Estonian independence. The court confirmed a plea agreement and imposed a seven-year prison sentence.
Harju County Court sentenced pro-Kremlin propagandist to seven years in prison
According to ERR News, Harju County Court on Monday convicted 52-year-old Oleg Bessedin of crimes against Estonian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The court confirmed a plea agreement under which Bessedin was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
In addition to the principal conviction, Bessedin was found guilty of repeated violation of European Union international sanctions. The state will confiscate his assets worth 77,104.32 euros, of which 3,195.80 euros will cover court costs.
The court found that the plea agreement complied with legal requirements and was concluded voluntarily. The agreement with the State Prosecutor's Office was reached on the first day of Bessedin's trial, on 22 September. He was arrested in November 2025 and has been in pre-trial custody since then.
According to the charges, Bessedin acted from May 2022 in cooperation with Russian state bodies and individuals involved in influence operations. His activities included the dissemination of narratives justifying Russia's war of aggression, the presentation of false statements and threats, primarily through a YouTube channel. The aim of the activity was to divide Estonian society, reduce confidence in state institutions and undermine support for NATO and the European Union.
Regarding the sanctions violations, it was found that Bessedin allowed content from a sanctions-designated Russian media channel to be broadcast on the television channel TVN under his control, published material related to a sanctioned media outlet on his social media platform, granted broadcasting rights to three of his films to a Russian state media agency under EU sanctions, and helped launch a television channel through which content from Russian television channels under EU sanctions was broadcast. All the actions listed constitute violations of European Council Regulation No. 269/2014.
The decision of Harju County Court has not yet become final.
Source: ERR News