Russia: Administrative Charges Filed Against Marfa Smirnova
WPF condemns the persecution of journalists working for independent outlets deemed “undesirable” by the Kremlin
Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: July 18, 2024
Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the ongoing persecution of journalists by the Russian government, which continues to label independent news outlets as “undesirable.” This designation is a strategic tool used by the Kremlin to suppress dissent and stifle truthful reporting. Marfa Smirnova, a journalist for The Insider, is the latest target of this oppressive tactic. This legal action is part of a broader pattern of harassment faced by the now exiled Smirnova, as documented by Women Press Freedom. In July 2023, she received anonymous threats, and her relatives in Russia were placed under surveillance. Women Press Freedom stands in solidarity with Marfa Smirnova and her colleagues, who are facing similar baseless charges. We demand the immediate dismissal of these charges against Smirnova and reiterate our calls for the international community to take a firm stance against Russia’s relentless assault on press freedom.
The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow registered an administrative case against Marfa Smirnova, a Russian journalist, who now lives in exile, on July 18, 2024. Smirnova is facing charges for participating in the activities of an "undesirable" organization. The details surrounding this charge against the journalist remain undisclosed, a hearing date has yet to be set.
This legal action against Smirnova is not her first encounter with intimidation for her work. In July 2023, she received anonymous threats and revealed that her relatives in Russia were under surveillance.
Smirnova works for The Insider, where she conducts video interviews with various political figures, bloggers, and public personalities. In a conversation with Mediazona, Smirnova speculated that the charges against her are likely connected to her association with The Insider, a publication declared "undesirable" by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office in 2022.
The charges against Smirnova follow a pattern of increased legal pressures on journalists associated with independent media outlets deemed “undesirable” by the Kremlin. Recently, multiple journalists working for the Latvia-based Russian outlet Meduza have faced similar charges, including journalists Anastasia Zhvik and Svetlana Reiter.
The law, introduced in 2015, allows fines and up to six years of imprisonment for leaders of “undesirable” organizations, with all employees and sources at risk of criminal charges and up to four years in jail. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the use of this law has surged, with over 175 organizations, including independent news outlets and international groups, now labeled as undesirable. Women Press Freedom has repeatedly criticized this unjust law as an effort to suppress critical voices and civil liberties.
Women Press Freedom condemns the charges against Marfa Smirnova and urges the international community to support efforts to protect exiled journalists facing persecution from the Kremlin. Russia’s relentless pursuit of journalists through legal and extralegal means must be stopped.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.