Court sentences Oleg Bessedin to seven years in prison

TALLINN - The Harju County Court found Oleg Bessedin guilty under a plea agreement and sentenced him to seven years in prison.

Bessedin entered into a plea agreement with the State Prosecutor's Office, under which he was convicted of two offenses: non-violent activity by a foreign national against the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Estonia, and repeated violation of international sanctions.

According to the charges, Bessedin, in coordination with Russian state structures and individuals engaged in influence operations, participated in information influence activities directed against Estonia.

This involved producing and disseminating narratives justifying Russia's war of aggression, false claims, and fear-mongering rhetoric, primarily on a YouTube channel, with the aim of dividing Estonian society, eroding trust in state institutions, and undermining support for NATO and the European Union.

Additionally, Bessedin repeatedly violated sanctions imposed by Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 by allowing the television channel TVN, which he controlled, to broadcast programs from sanctioned Russian media outlets; publishing content related to a sanctioned media outlet on his social media platform; transferring the screening rights for three of his films to a sanctioned Russian state media agency; and assisting in the launch of a television channel that broadcast content from Russian TV channels sanctioned in the EU.

The court found that the agreement complied with the law, was entered into voluntarily, and approved it.

The state will confiscate 77,104.32 euros of Bessedin's assets, from which procedural costs of 3,195.80 euros will also be covered as per the agreement.

The ruling has not yet entered into force.