Aleksandr Tolmachyov

On January 2, 2014, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) expressed concern over “the judicial harassment of journalists critical of the authorities in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don,” citing the cases of Tolmachyov, who had been in pre-trial detention for two years, and of another journalist, Sergei Reznik, who had just been sentenced to a penal colony.

It was reported on April 4, 2013, that the investigation into his case had been completed. His lawyer, Sergey Karpov, asked for a dismissal of the case, saying that no proof of any crime had been presented. The request for dismissal was rejected.

Trial and conviction Tolmachev's trial began in August 2013. On October 29, 2014, the Kushchevskaya district court found Tolmachyov guilty and sentenced him to nine years in a penal colony.

Award On June 21, 2013, Tolmachyov was given an award by the Artyom Borovik charitable foundation in recognition of his articles about judicial corruption in the Rostov region.