Journalist Masha Gessen was accused of disinformation by the Russian government and was “virtually denied” an Australian visa

An outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin says her visa application to visit Australia was delayed because of a criminal complaint filed in Russia.

Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen was scheduled to arrive in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia last weekend as part of a speaking tour with the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI).

Gessen has written widely on Russian politics, including an unauthorized and highly critical 2012 biography of Mr Putin.

In a statement on Monday, Gessen said the Australian government had “effectively denied them a visa”, which benefited the Kremlin.

“The Russian government’s persecution has a single goal: to make me feel unfree, even though I live in exile and they cannot imprison me at the moment,” they said.

“I am shocked that the first allies the Russians have found in their efforts to restrict me are the Australian authorities, who have practically denied me a visa.”

Russian court imposes eight-year prison sentence

In July, a Moscow court sentenced Gessen to eight years in prison for spreading false information about the Russian military.

The criminal case against Gessen was initiated after the author spoke in an interview about alleged war crimes committed by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Moscow Times reported in July that Gessen was found guilty of “knowingly spreading false information about Russian military personnel out of political hatred.”

According to Russian state news site TASS, more than 130 people have been convicted of spreading false news about the Russian armed forces since 2022.

The human rights organization Amnesty International described the criminal prosecution of military critics in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine as a “relentless witch hunt.”

Simon Longstaff, executive director of the Ethics Centre that runs FODI, said the Australian government's requests for Gessen's records were inappropriate in the circumstances.

“Among other things, the department is demanding an investigation by the U.S. police and the FBI if no crime was ever committed,” Longstaff said.

ABC has contacted the Home Office for comment.

The guidelines listed on the Home Office website include a check of the police records of State visa applicants as part of the application process.

“You may need to provide us with a police clearance certificate from your country and your other countries of residence,” the Home Office website states.

“You will not pass the character test if you have a significant criminal record. If you fail the character test, you will not be granted a visa to enter Australia.”

Gessen is scheduled to speak in Melbourne on Wednesday and in Sydney on Saturday.

The festival organizers announced that Gessen would still be invited to give a lecture via video link if her visa was not issued in time.

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