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Russia opens criminal case against journalist critical of Ukraine war
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 20, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 20, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Russia has launched a criminal case against journalist Galina Timchenko for her critical coverage of the Ukraine war, risking a six-year prison sentence.
(Reuters) -Russia's Investigative Committee said on Tuesday that it had launched criminal proceedings against a prominent journalist who heads a publication in neighbouring Latvia providing critical coverage of the three-year-old conflict in Ukraine.
The Moscow branch of the committee, which deals with major criminal cases in Russia, said it had opened the case against Russian-born Galina Timchenko, co-founder and head of the Meduza publication.
It said the case was based on organising the activities of an "undesirable organisation" and posting videos "to foment protest sentiment and to involve the public in the activities" of such an organisation.
Institutions deemed "undesirable" on grounds that they threaten Russia's constitutional order, can be subject to fines or orders to dissolve.
Meduza, which reports in detail on Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour, said in an announcement posted online that Timchenko faced six years in prison if convicted.
Timchenko, who had previously headed up prominent publications inside Russia, was last year declared a "foreign agent", a designation which carries negative Soviet-era connotations and imposes difficult bureaucratic requirements.
Hundreds of Russian nationals have had the designation imposed on them.
Since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, parliament has approved legislation cracking down on dissent in the country, including fines and prison terms for discrediting or spreading false information on the army.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Galina Timchenko is a Russian-born journalist and co-founder of the Meduza publication, which is based in Latvia and provides critical coverage of the Ukraine war.
Timchenko faces charges related to organizing activities of an 'undesirable organization' and posting videos that allegedly foment protest sentiment.
If convicted, Timchenko could face up to six years in prison due to the charges against her.
The designation of 'foreign agent' carries negative connotations and imposes significant restrictions and difficulties for those labeled as such in Russia.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian parliament has enacted laws that impose fines and prison terms for actions deemed as discrediting the military or the state.
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