Legal harassment linked to the journalist’s interview with Navalny’s lawyer

Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: May 21, 2024

Women Press Freedom denounces the administrative charges brought against Svetlana Reiter, an award-winning investigative journalist, for her association with the media outlet Meduza, which Russian authorities designated as an undesirable organization and a foreign agent. Although the exact reason for her prosecution is unknown, local reports suggest that her interview with Alexei Navalny’s lawyer triggered the charges. Russian authorities’ labeling of Meduza as an “undesirable organization” and “foreign agent” has severe implications for journalists reporting for the independent outlet. Several journalists working for Meduza are facing legal challenges, including financial penalties and potential imprisonment. The use of these legal tools against journalists like Svetlana Reiter represents a growing crackdown on independent journalism inside and outside Russia, aiming to stifle dissent and control the narrative in the media. We demand that all charges against Reiter and her colleagues be dropped immediately.

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On May 21, 2024, it was announced that exiled journalist Svetlana Reiter faces prosecution under Article 20.33 of the Russian Administrative Code. This law penalizes participation in the activities of “an undesirable organization.” Sanctions under this article include fines of up to 15,000 rubles ($169).

Reiter is a well-known journalist, winner of the PolitProsvet journalistic award, and a multiple winner of the Editorial Board award in Russia.

The journalist's persecution stems from Reiter’s interview with Alexei Navalny’s lawyer, Olga Mikhailova, published in Meduza in March 2024. Reiter has stated that she was aware of the investigation. 

Meduza has declined to comment on the situation. Reiter is scheduled to appear before the Moscow Magistrates' Court in June 2024.

Independent media outlet Meduza, which now operates in exile, was declared “undesirable” in January 2023. The Russian authorities have ramped up prosecutions for alleged involvement with media outlets declared “undesirable” in recent months, according to Mediazona, with at least 19 cases filed since the start of 2024.

In a similar case last month, fellow Meduza journalist Anastasia Zhvik, who also lives outside of Russia, was issued a protocol for being involved with an "undesirable" organization by the Leninsky District Court in Russian-annexed Sevastopol, Crimea. This case stemmed from Zhvik's writings for Meduza.

Russia’s "foreign agent" and "undesirable organization" laws are instruments of repression designed to silence independent media and restrict the free flow of information. The Kremlin has repeatedly used these laws to target journalists at home and abroad, as documented by Women Press Freedom, including Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva who has been unjustly detained for ten months for supposedly violating the “foreign agent” law. We vehemently condemn the weaponization of legal tools to harass and charge journalists. We demand all charges against Svetlana Reiter and her colleagues be dropped and call for Russia to cease its persecution of the independent press.

Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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