Support The Moscow Times!

Office Raid for Russian Newspaper Suspected of 'Extremism'

Listock.ru

The offices of an independent newspaper in Siberia have been raided on suspicion of extremism, the Meduza news website reported Monday.

The Listok newspaper, based in Russia's Altai region, was founded by the chairman of the local branch of the Parnas opposition party.

Investigators seized eight computer towers and a safe from the property.

In a message published on the newspaper's website, staff speculated that the raid was due to a reader-generated comment. The user, who did not use his real name, accused regional official Alexander Berdnikov of missing local Victory Day celebrations to go on holiday with his mistress.

The article also said the raid had been the ?€?third or forth on the Listok offices in the last few years,?€? although no prosecutions have ever been made.

If newspaper staff are found guilty of extremism they could face up to four years imprisonment.

Statistics from the Supreme Court that show 544 people were convicted of extremist offenses in 2015, up from 414 in 2014.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more