No longer fans of Crimean separatism, Russian police charge RFE/RL reporter in Crimea with inciting separatism

Nikolai Semen, a journalist working for a regional branch in the Ukrainian service of RFE/RL in Crimea, has been charged with inciting separatism. According to Semen's defense attorney, he was summoned for questioning on April 28. While meeting with police, Semen was formally named as a suspect in an ongoing investigation against the news agency. Officials say they have requested an expert linguistic analysis of Semen's work, which police believe qualifies an illegal speech.

During his police interrogation, Semen invoked his right to remain silent and say nothing that might incriminate himself.

• On April 19, Crimean Prosecutor General Natalia Poklonskaya announced that police had opened a criminal investigation against RFE/RL's local news service on suspicion of inciting separatism. Poklonskaya didn't name any specific journalists, but she did say that the case was based on RFE/RL's reporting on Ukrainian activists now blockading supply roads leading into Crimea from the Ukrainian mainland.