Russia: CFWIJ Condemns Criminalisation Of Journalist Izabella Evloeva
Location: Russian Federation, Ingushetia
Date: December 19, 2022
Journalist and chief editor of Fortanga, Izabella Evloeva, is currently under criminal prosecution with an offence under article 2073 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses its deep concern about the chilling impact that such measures may have on freedom of expression.
Izabella Evloeva, a journalist from the Republic of Ingushetia is currently in exile due to being under criminal prosecution by the Russian Federation. Evloeva has been charged, due to her criticism of the Chechen-Ingush land deal as well as her coverage of human rights violations in Ingushetia. The accusations against Evloeva have landed her on the international wanted list.
Evloeva is the chief editor of Fortanga, an independent media outlet that covers human rights violations in Russia, specifically the Republic of Ingushetia. The journalist also writes for her telegram-based blog “Not a Woman, but a Journalist” a platform she uses to report human rights violations committed by the Russian military in Ukraine. Evloeva collaborated with other media outlets covering Russia's North Caucasus.
Parallel with the prosecution, the journalist's family members who still reside in the Republic of Ingushetia have reportedly been harassed.
On June 7, 2022, authorities allegedly searched her parents’ house in Sunzha, where Evloeva has not lived since 1998. According to several reports, the search lasted for four hours and was carried out without a protocol. Evloeva's parents’ phones were reportedly seized, and she was reportedly unable to communicate with them.
Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers allegedly informed Evloeva through a relative that they would be ‘forced’ to persecute her parents under the circumstances that the journalist did not stop publicly voicing her views on various media outlets and portals.
Evloeva publicized the message which resulted in law enforcement officials reportedly contacting her father and pressuring him to demand his daughter remove the material.
On June 17, 2022, Evloeva’s mother was allegedly summoned for interrogation by the investigator. The mother exercising her constitutional right reportedly refused to testify. In response, the investigator allegedly warned her of criminal liability in case she refused to testify.
On June 23, 2022, an international search warrant was issued for Evloeva.
On August 27, 2022, the pretrial investigation into Evloeva’s case was suspended in accordance with article 208 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation due to failure to establish the exact whereabouts of the accused.
On October 5, 2022, the prosecutor overturned this decision, and the case was returned to the head of the investigative body for further action.
On October 13, 2022, it was decided to charge Izabella Evloeva with an offence under article 207.3 of the Criminal Code which punishes the publication of ‘misinformation’ about the military. Violations of the law carry a maximum of three years in prison. The investigation into the case is ongoing. Evloeva cannot return to Russia for fear of conviction.
According to information from the Office of the Procurator General of the Russian Federation, the criminal prosecution of Evloeva is being conducted in strict compliance with the requirements of the criminal and criminal procedure law of the Russian Federation. However, the Russian authorities have begun using arrests, raids and fines to harass journalists who dared publish “false information” about the Russian army’s actions in Ukraine.
In 2019, Evloeva left Russia for what she believed would be a two-month period. Three-and-a-half years later, she is still living in exile for simply covering protests in Ingushetia on her news website Fortanga and has three criminal cases opened against her for writing anti-war opinions.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the censorship and prosecution of Izabella Evloeva. We extend our support to Evloeva in the climate of increased pressure on freedom of speech in countries like Russia.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.