In a recent development that underlines the mounting tensions between Russia and the rest of the globe, the Russian Investigative Committee has initiated an investigation into US-based journalist, Masha Gessen. An announcement from the SHOT Telegram Channel stated that the investigation started last week, with the charges being that Gessen had purportedly ‘discredited’ the Russian armed forces through her coverage of events in Ukraine. Read more
Masha Gessen is a noted Russian-American journalist, writer, translator and activist. She has been meticulously documenting the incidents of violence and atrocities happening during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. She has also been a prominent contributor to The New Yorker.
Reports from other major news platforms such as SHOT and Baza highlighted that the investigation against Gessen was initiated stemming from an interview she gave last year, where she denounced the actions of the Russian military and discussed the events in Bucha.
These investigations come after a series of decisions by Russia’s Constitutional Court to dismiss challenges to laws that criminalize any actions aimed at discrediting Russia’s armed forces. These laws have borne the brunt of intense criticism from international voices. On August 28, UN officials expressed their apprehension about these laws, qualifying the move as a significant downturn in Russia’s approach to safeguarding free flow of information and expression. More about this
Adding to this, the Russian Government amended the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Articles 31 and 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The amendments incorporate administrative and criminal punishments for ‘discrediting’ or disseminating ‘unreliable information’ about the Russian Armed Forces.
For international observers, legal professionals, and advocates of journalist rights, these events further underscore the issue of restrictions on freedom of speech and journalistic independence in regions beset by conflict. Addressing and resolving these concerns will require a continued and unified international response to safeguard these fundamental rights and democratic values.