A Moscow court on Wednesday sentenced a Russian journalist in absentia to eight years in prison on charges of contempt of the military, the last measure in the authorities' relentless crackdown on dissidents. 

Alexander Nevzorov, a TV journalist and former lawmaker, was convicted on charges of spreading false information about the military under a law that was passed shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine. The law effectively punishes anyone who criticizes Russian military actions in Ukraine with fines or sentences of up to 10 years in prison. 

Nevzorov was accused of posting "false information" on social media about the Russian bombing of a maternity hospital in the port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. Moscow has strongly denied its involvement in this incident. 

Nevzorov, who moved abroad after the start of the conflict in Ukraine, did not have an immediate comment on the decision. 

Prominent opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced in December to eight and a half years in prison under the same law. Another main figure of the opposition, Vladimir Kara-Murza, is in custody facing the same charges.