RU
Russia has launched a criminal case against The Insider’s investigative journalist Sergei Ezhov for his alleged “failure to comply with obligations as a foreign agent.” Law enforcement searched his parents' apartment in Ryazan on Monday morning, Ezhov told The Insider.
According to Ezhov, his parents were not home at the time, and security forces broke down the door to gain access to the property. The journalist is currently outside Russia.
“Well, I’ll just work even harder and better. I am confident in my cause and the importance of what I do,” he wrote on X (Twitter) after learning of the search.
The Russian Ministry of Justice designated Sergei Ezhov as a “foreign agent” on July 5, 2024. In response, the journalist released a message to his readers, promising to publish an alternative list — the “registry of malicious actors” — every Friday, naming individuals featured in his investigations, as well as their associates.
The latest entries, made on March 14, 2025, include Austria’s former Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl and ex-Stasi officer Matthias Warnig — both associates and allies of Vladimir Putin.
English translations of Sergei Ezhov’s investigations can be found on The Insider’s website via the following link.
Russia’s “foreign agent” media law was enacted in 2017, allowing authorities to designate any media outlet receiving funding or property from abroad as a “foreign agent.” In 2019, the legislation was expanded to include individuals — not just organizations.
Since December 2020, individuals and unregistered public associations receiving foreign funding can also be labeled as “foreign agents” for engaging in “political activity” — a term broadly interpreted to include public discussions of government actions.
On March 1, 2021, penalties for violating the foreign agent law were further tightened. Today, non-compliance can result in administrative fines or even criminal prosecution, with potential prison sentences of up to five years in prison. The law has been heavily criticized as a tool for political repression against journalists, activists, NGOs, and independent media, effectively stifling dissent and press freedom in Russia.
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