Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Agents Raid Home of Investigative Journalist

Roman Anine, 34, had previously worked for Novaya Gazeta. istories.media / Instagram

Russian security agents on Friday raided the home of the editor of an online investigative journal that recently published articles on the security services, his editorial team said.

Operatives of the FSB security agency searched the apartment of Roman Anin, his Vazhnye Istorii (iStories) investigative news website colleagues said.

They cited his lawyer saying that Anin was targeted in connection with inquiries into "violation of privacy by abusing his professional functions," an offense punishable by up to four years in prison.

He was due to go with his lawyers to talk to the committee in charge of criminal inquiries, according to media reports.

Anin, 34, had previously worked for Novaya Gazeta, the most reputable opposition newspaper in Russia.

Novaya Gazeta's editorial board said the case was linked to an investigation opened in 2016, following a publication by Anin suggesting that the wife of one of the most powerful men in the country, Igor Sechin, owned a yacht valued at $100 million.

The newspaper was found guilty of defamation after Sechin filed a complaint about the report.

"What is happening now to Roman Anin is a story of revenge," the paper said in a statement.

Created last year, iStories has most of its editorial staff based in Latvia with correspondents in Russia.

The website recently published articles on possible links between the FSB and organized crime, and others on torture in Russian prisons and surveillance of the imprisoned Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

… 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