Speaking on ERR's Raadio 4, defense attorney Ksenia Kravchenko said that the situation in which Smorzhevskikh-Smirnova was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in absentia is absurd. Although the presumption of defendants' innocence is written into the Russian Criminal Code, in practice, particularly in show trials, the principle is violated.

"Standard humanistic norms of European legal systems assume that criminal justice is carried out in the presence of a person who is accused by the state of something and is given the right to defend themselves. Therefore, of course, for a lawyer practicing in our part of the world, what is happening beyond the eastern border is unthinkable," said defense attorney Ksenia Kravchenko.

However, even such an inadmissible – from the point of view of European justice – in absentia sentence can create certain problems if Russia decides to place the person in question on an international wanted list. Despite the fact that European countries are likely to refuse to extradite the convicted person on political grounds, the risk of them being detained remains.

"Interpol has, to some extent, suspended the consideration of Russian requests regarding those who it considers wanted on political grounds. But there is no guarantee that a specific request from the Russian Federation will not be granted or, at least, that the person will not be detained and not have to prove to a foreign state that they are being persecuted in Russia for political reasons," the lawyer explained.

"Estonia can only express its objections in a diplomatic and political manner. For example, it can send a diplomatic note or use this fact in its political relations with other states," she said, adding that Estonia could also possibly raise the issue as relevant during EU discussions on the implementation of further sanctions against Russia.

Last week, the Moscow City Court sentenced Maria Smorževskihh-Smirnova, director of the Narva Museum, to 10 years in prison in absentia. Smorževskihh-Smirnova was found guilty in Russia of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army and "rehabilitating Nazism."

The Russian authorities take issue with Narva Museum's anti-propaganda initiatives on May 9, when Russia celebrates "Victory Day" to commemorate World War II. Since 2023, the Russian authorities in the border city of Ivangorod have set up screens to project the Victory parade and patriotic pro-war songs to Russian-speaking residents across the river in Narva.

In response, Smorževskihh-Smirnova and her team have hung posters on the castle wall calling Putin a war criminal and making comparisons to Adolf Hitler.

"I have not committed a single illegal act in my life. How my actions are interpreted by the totalitarian regime of a neighboring country is their internal matter," Smorževskihh-Smirnova wrote on social media after learning of the verdict.

"I see what has happened as yet another, rather banal and long-since unoriginal attempt to intimidate me personally, and also others – those who dare to call things by their proper names," she continued.

"My response is simple and unequivocal: it will not succeed. The 'Russian warship' may continue on its course, one that has already been clearly defined by the defenders of Ukraine."

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