The Moscow Prosecutor's Office has sent a criminal case against Roman Dobrokhotov, the editor-in-chief of online publication The Insider, to court.
Dobrokhotov is accused of organizing the activities of an undesirable organization, according to a statement provided to news outlet Lenta.ru by the prosecutor's press service.
Investigators stated that the journalist had previously been brought to administrative liability twice on similar grounds. They alleged that he continued operating The Insider while publishing videos containing negative evaluations of events in Russia on a video hosting platform.
Because Dobrokhotov is on a wanted list, the court will hear the criminal case in his absence. Russian authorities have held an arrest warrant in absentia for him since August 2022. Reports previously indicated that Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev assisted Dobrokhotov in escaping abroad.
Charges and legal designations
Russian authorities have designated both The Insider and Bellingcat as foreign agent media outlets and placed them on the register of undesirable organizations. The Russian Ministry of Justice has also individually added Dobrokhotov and Grozev to its list of foreign agents.
Under Russian legislation, being classified as an undesirable organization effectively bans an entity from operating inside the country. Anyone accused of participating in or organizing the work of such a group can face criminal prosecution and potential imprisonment.
Investigative journalism and international exile
The Insider is an independent investigative news website focusing on Russian politics, security services, and corruption. The outlet has collaborated on several high-profile investigative projects with Bellingcat, an international research collective that uses open-source data to investigate conflict and state security matters.
Russia introduced its foreign agent legislation in 2012 and expanded it to cover media outlets, journalists, and civic activists. The laws require designated individuals and groups to register with the government, submit regular financial accounting reports, and attach explicit disclaimers to all published text and video content.
The criminal case will now proceed to court in Moscow, where judges are set to try Dobrokhotov in absentia while he remains outside Russia.
