Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has filed a defamation lawsuit demanding that the investigative Novaya Gazeta newspaper remove reports that accused the agency of torture, the paper has said.
Novaya Gazeta has been the target of several libel lawsuits, the most recent of which came from the former head of the state-run Russian Railways, who seeks $76,000 in damages for reports linking him to high-profile corruption and an assassination.
The investigative newspaper said Wednesday that it was sued over two January reports claiming that a Central Asian migrant was tortured in FSB detention in connection with a deadly Dec. 31 apartment block gas explosion.
“The content of [the reports] undoubtedly creates a negative image of the federal agency for a wide range of readers,” the suit is cited as saying.
The FSB, a successor agency of the KGB, has been accused of torture by anti-fascist activists over the past year. Last March, FSB officers in St. Petersburg testified to investigators that they had used a stun gun on an activist out of “professional necessity.”
The Meduza news website documented at least nine FSB torture cases in the first eight months of 2018.
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.
