Russia’s Justice Ministry adds journalist Arkady Babchenko to ‘foreign agents’ list

The Russian Ministry of Justice has added journalist Arkady Babchenko to the list of “foreign agents”, as per the ministry website.

According to the statement by the Justice Ministry, Babchenko was included in the list due to his having collected money to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces and shared “false information about the decisions made by public authorities and the policies being carried out by them”.

Babchenko left Russia in 2017. Among other places, he lived in Ukraine for two years, however, he departed the country after Volodymyr Zelensky had been elected. He has expressed negative opinions about Ukraine’s current president. Currently, Babchenko regularly gives interviews and does live streams, in which he speaks out against the war in Ukraine. He resides in Estonia.

Last week, Russia’s Justice Ministry added lead singer of Russian rock band Nogu Svelo Maxim Pokrovsky, Novosibirsk City Council deputy and host of YouTube show Popular Politics Sergey Boyko, head of the Journalist Alliance of Karelia Georgy Chentemirov, project Teplitsa. Technologies for Social Good, social movement Alliance of Straights and LGBT for Equality, and charity True Russia to the “foreign agents” list.