Russia on Friday added a Bulgarian journalist and longtime Kremlin critic to its listing of “foreign agents” and ordered his arrest, in a uncommon use of the label towards a non-Russian citizen.
Moscow has stepped up efforts to stamp out dissent after President Vladimir Putin despatched troops to Ukraine in February final yr, and most impartial media shops have been shut down or suspended operations.
Bulgarian Christo Grozev, 53, is the lead Russia journalist for the Bellingcat investigative web site, and performed a key function in its investigation into the poisoning of opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
The Russian inside ministry added Grozev to its listing of overseas brokers on Friday and a Moscow courtroom ordered the arrest of Grozev, Russian news companies reported.
Grozev is just not at present in Russia.
Moscow has extensively used the label “foreign agent”, which has Stalin-era connotations, towards Kremlin critics however hardly ever towards a foreigner.
According to Russian legislation, it may be slapped on a person “regardless of their citizenship.”
Late final yr, Grozev was placed on a needed listing by Russian authorities, and the FSB home safety service has additionally accused him of serving to Ukrainian intelligence.
Grozev has extensively coated Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.
The RIA Novosti news company on Friday quoted a supply saying investigators accuse Grozev of serving to outstanding Russian journalist, Roman Dobrokhotov, to “illegally cross the border.”
Dobrokhotov is the founding father of investigative news web site The Insider.
Before the Kremlin launched its full-scale offensive final yr, Bellingcat had already investigated the taking pictures down of flight MH17 — which killed all 298 folks in japanese Ukraine in 2014 — and argued that Russian-backed fighters had been seemingly accountable.
Moscow has denied any involvement within the downing of the airplane.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
