Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of the Metro series that inspired the games of the same name, has been sentenced to eight years in prison by a Moscow court.

Dmitry Glukhovsky, the author of the Metro series, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for defaming the Russian armed forces. The verdict was handed down earlier this week as the political and military situation in the Russian Federation is becoming increasingly volatile due to the war in Ukraine. But the Metro writer’s verdict contains some unusual twists.

The Metro series tells the story of people living in the underground tunnels of Russia after a nuclear war wreaked havoc on the world.

The first game, Metro 2033, is based on the novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky. The author later wrote a series of sequels to the book while the games took their own direction. The author also worked as a journalist. He has been vocally opposed to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine since 2014.

As we reported earlier, in June 2022, the Russian authorities ordered the writer’s arrest. This was explicitly because Glukhovsky had spoken out against the war in Ukraine. This is covered by a law that forbids journalists from “discrediting the Russian armed forces” (read: writing the truth about the war – sorry, “special military operation.”) Earlier this week, he was sentenced to eight years in prison for this crime. He became one of many journalists and politicians convicted of such a crime since the start of the war.

The twist is that Glukhovsky fled Russia last year and was convicted in absentia, so this is primarily a symbolic gesture by the Moscow courts.

The war in Ukraine has devastated the country in ways that are hard to comprehend. As for video games, many games with studios in the country have been forced to suspend the production of their projects. Or outright cancel them, as the developers themselves were fighting in the war. Metro Exodus developer Andrii “Nizrok” Korzinkin was killed fighting in the war. The same happened to STALKER developer Vladimir “Fresh” Yezho.

In addition to developers fighting in the war, various companies have also made efforts to help the Ukrainian people. THQ Nordic is housing refugees of the war in Ukraine. Other companies are organising charity and other events to help those affected. Fortunately, Dmitry Glukhovsky himself has since moved to Europe. His current whereabouts are unknown. However, with this judgment hanging over his head, it is unlikely that he will be able to return to his home country any time soon. The Russian leadership seems to continue doing everything possible to antagonise young people, especially intellectuals and gamers with Western interests…

Source: AP