Trans journalist who joined Ukraine army and warned of Putin's 'hate' given 20 years in jail
The Supreme Court in Russia convicted 47 year old US citizen Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, a former Los Angeles-based journalist who enlisted as a military medic in Ukraine's Armed Forces in 2022
A transgender journalist who joined the Ukrainian military has been sentenced to 20 years in a harsh Russian penal colony. The Supreme Court in Russia convicted in absentia 47 year old US citizen Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, a former Los Angeles-based journalist who enlisted as a military medic in Ukraine's Armed Forces in 2022.
She was found guilty of spreading false information about Russia's Armed Forces and participating as a mercenary in an armed conflict. Ashton-Cirillo, who has traveled to the US several times on behalf of Ukraine's Defense Minister, was labeled a terrorist by Russia last year.
In a 2024 interview with the Washington Blade, she stated, "For Russia to name me as an officially sanctioned terrorist is laughable enough, however, what was truly indicative of the hate coming from the Kremlin's regime was that every press release and article in Russia about my being placed on Putin's terrorism list was prefaced with the fact that I am trans."
She added, "The Russian government is genocidal and hate-ridden and this is why it will collapse."
In August 2023, Ashton-Cirollo made and shared a video online claiming that Russia was amassing biological weapons. She also discussed the use of chemical weapons by the Russian military in Syria and against Ukraine.
Later that year, Vice President JD Vance wrote a letter to Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, accusing Ashton-Cirollo of threatening "physical violence to anyone who circulates Russian propaganda". The VP also questioned Cirollo's American citizenship and whether she had ever worked for American intelligence services.
Vance further demanded information on whether she was employed by the Ukrainian military and if she was being "compensated using American resources."
The former journalist, now junior sergeant, frequently posts on social media, with her most recent post on X dated May 30. Born in North Florida, she is 47 years old.
She entered Ukraine through Poland in 2022 and initially had reservations about entering Ukraine due to concerns about LGBTQ rights in the country.
"From the first day when I entered, when I had my passport stamped, I found Ukraine to be welcoming in a very unique way. It's not a question of tolerance and it's not a question of identity. What it is is that Ukraine is a nation that appreciates liberty and freedom for all people, " she told Voice of America in 2023.