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Russia's Justice Ministry Adds Journalists, Scholars and Regional Media Projects to 'Foreign Agents' List

The step reflects expanded enforcement of Russia's 'foreign agents' law, which compels labeling and reporting under penalty.

Overview

  • On October 24, the Ministry of Justice added journalists Irina Novik (Kuzmicheva) and Nino Rosebashvili, orientalist Ruslan Suleimanov, historian Dmitry Chernyshyevsky, and the projects Ust-Kut24 and Serditaya Chuvashiya to the registry.
  • RIA Novosti reported the official notice the same day, and no immediate legal appeals or formal responses from those listed were reported in the coverage.
  • Serditaya Chuvashiya founder Semen Kochkin, designated a foreign agent in 2022, said the project will continue and warned the label will further curtail advertising partnerships, adding that their Boosty page was blocked.
  • Idel.Realii notes that the designation requires marked publications and regular filings and can lead to administrative penalties and criminal cases for noncompliance.
  • A 2025 law lowered the threshold for criminal liability to a single prior fine for those labeled as foreign agents, tightening earlier rules.