A well-known Russian journalist and dissident, Ilya Azar, said today that he was being prosecuted for criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Azar told his Telegram channel that he had been prosecuted for “criticizing the use of the Russian armed forces to protect the interests of Russia and its citizens and to maintain international peace.”
He clarified that this accusation is based on a post on Facebook.
“I had begun to think with concern that I had been forgotten or that I did not have a clear enough opposition to the war,” Azar commented ironically.
The journalist, who is not currently in Russia, risks, he says, a fine of up to 100,000 rubles (1,400 euros at the current exchange rate).
Following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in late February, Russian authorities have stepped up their crackdown on critics of the military operation.
Russia has also strengthened its legal arsenal so that it can impose severe fines or imprisonment on anyone found guilty of criticizing the military or publishing “false information” about the invasion.
Azar, 37, is a journalist working for a number of media outlets, including the Novaïa Gazeta newspaper, which was suspended in late March due to the climate in Russia.
He is also a city councilor in a Moscow district.
This is not the first time the Russian authorities have dealt with him. In 2020 he spent 10 days in prison for protesting alone in Moscow. His detention sparked protests.
SOURCE: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Source: Capital
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