Russian authorities have accused Denis Allayarov, an editor at the pro-Kremlin news agency Ura.ru, of bribing his uncle, a former senior police officer allegedly dismissed for misconduct.
According to Ura.ru, Allayarov was charged with bribing a public official following police raids Thursday at his home and the news agency’s Sverdlovsk regional office in the city of Yekaterinburg.
The regional court system identified the alleged recipient of the bribe as Andrei Karpov, former head of the city’s criminal investigation department.
Karpov, who the court said was dismissed from the police force at an unknown earlier date, was charged with accepting a bribe and abuse of power. He was placed under house arrest until Aug. 4 following a closed hearing.
Yekaterinburg’s Leninsky District Court is expected to decide later Friday whether to place Allayarov in pre-trial detention.
Ura.ru has denied the allegations, describing Allayarov as “the victim of slander by his uncle over an alleged payment of 20,000 rubles [$250].”
Founded in 2006, Ura.ru was once known for its investigative reporting and criticism of local officials in the Ural Mountains region. It shifted its editorial stance following its sale in the early 2010s to energy tycoons Artyom Bikov and Alexei Bobrov, both Austrian citizens.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the outlet reportedly pulled critical coverage of the Defense Ministry and published favorable stories about a Russian commander in exchange for payments, according to the investigative news outlet Proekt.
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.
