Kalmyk journalist persecuted for reposting an interview with an Azov fighter had his preventive measure softened

To the editor-in-chief of the publication “Modern Kalmykia” Valery Badmaev, who is being prosecuted under the article of “repeated discrediting” Russian army, softened the measure of restraint from a ban on certain actions to a written undertaking not to leave. This was reported by Kavkaz.Realii.

Badmaev is charged with reposting a video on VK in which a fighter of the Azov battalion talks about the use of phosphorus bombs by the Russian army in Mariupol. However, a recent examination did not find any signs of discrediting the Russian army in the video.

Badmaev was detained in Elista on December 9, 2022. The editor-in-chief's house was searched, during which security forces seized the journalist's mobile phone and laptop.

Previously, he was fined in April 2022 under an administrative article on defamation. The reason for this was also videos on social networks. Moreover, they were published even before the laws on discredit came into force, which did not prevent the court from fining Badmaev 35 thousand rubles.