Russia court places journalist under house arrest for ‘fake news’ News
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Russia court places journalist under house arrest for ‘fake news’

The  Krasnoflotsky District Court placed Forbes journalist Sergei Mingazov under house arrest on Saturday, according to reports from Russia state-owned media.

Mingazov is accused of disseminating “fake” news on his Telegram account and criticizing Russian military operations in Ukraine. The posts on Mingazov’s Telegram included reposts from April 2022 of allegations that Russian forces killed civilians in Bucha. At the time, many people shared pictures that purported to show dead civilians in the streets and sparked massive outcry around the globe.

According to Mingazov’s lawyer, the Forbes journalist has been charged with violating Article 207.3(2)(e) of the Russian Criminal Code. This provision of the code criminalizes “public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation motivated by political hatred or enmity”. Alongside his house arrest, Mingazov’s house was searched by authorities and his phone and computers were seized.

Mingazov is the latest arrest of a journalist in a recent crackdown against those openly critical of Russian operations in Ukraine. RusNews reporter Roman Ivanov was sentenced to 7 years for speaking out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced to 8.5 years on similar charges.

In recent years, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has noted a concerning trend in Russia. Alongside severe sentences and even instances of torture against journalists, authorities are increasingly resorting to fines and short detentions under various pretexts as part of a systematic campaign to intimidate media professionals. RSF also highlights the arbitrary inclusion of media outlets on the “foreign agents” list, subjecting them to bureaucratic hurdles and legal risks. Moreover, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, independent journalists have faced heightened risks, leading many to seek refuge abroad. According to RSF, authorities have employed various tactics to pressure those who have fled, including visits to their family members and convicting them in absentia.

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