Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) officers have summoned several employees of the Ekho Moskvy radio station for questioning, the Meduza news website reported Tuesday.
The radio station's chief editor Alexei Venediktov said on Twitter that website chief editor Vitaly Ruvinskiy, journalist Andrei Piontkovsky, and two other members of the editorial staff will all undergo FSB questioning.
The FSB said that the summons are part of a criminal investigation it has begun into the publication of articles on the station’s website that “call for actions in violation of Russia’s territorial integrity and are aimed at inciting hatred or enmity on the basis of national origin,” the Interfax news agency reported.
Ekho Moskvy's website in January published an article by Piontkovsky, in which he called Chechnya a “political time bomb” and suggested that it secede from the Russian Federation. The sentences containing this suggestion were deleted from the article soon after publication.
Andrei Piontkovsky's lawyer said that he had received a message from the FSB, saying that no criminal charges have been brought against his client. However, he did not rule out that this may happen in the future.
Following the incident in January, the head of the State Duma Security and Anti-Corruption Committee Irina Yarovaya requested access to the original article from the Prosecutor General. Chechnya's parliament later lodged a similar request with the Prosecutor General's Office.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov called for a crackdown on Western mouthpieces in Russia who seek to “destroy our country,” saying specifically that Ekho Moskvy broadcasts information “steeped in hatred for Russia.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
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 every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
