The Dorogomilovsky District Court of Moscow received case materials against the editor-in-chief of Vazhnye Istorii Roman Anin and Dozhd journalist Ekaterina Fomina, who previously collaborated with the publication. OVD-Info drew attention to this.
The case against Fomina about military "fakes" spread by a group of people and for selfish reasons (paragraphs "b" and "g" of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code) became known in January of this year. It was opened due to an interview that the journalist took in August 2022 with Russian serviceman Daniil Frolkin. In it, the man confessed to killing a civilian in the village of Andreyevka near Kiev, and also named the commanders who, among other things, gave orders to shoot civilians. Fomina was put on the wanted list and arrested in absentia on June 17.
On the same day, Roman Anin was put on the wanted list and arrested in absentia. At the same time, the journalist said that he knew nothing about the criminal case against him. From the case file on the man's arrest in absentia, it became known that he was charged with the same article as Fomina.
- Because of Fomina’s interview, a case was also opened against Frolkin under the article on dissemination of “fakes” about the Russian army (clauses “b” and “g” of Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code); he was latersentenced to five and a half years of probation.
- In March 2022, the publication "Important Stories" was recognized as an "undesirable organization", and before that, in August 2021, it was declared a "foreign agent". On the same day, Roman Anin himself was included in the register.
- Since February 24, 2022 — the first day of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — residents of Russian cities have been taking part in anti-war protests and talking about the tragedy online every day. Anti-war speeches and statements are becoming grounds for criminal prosecution. At the moment, more than 950 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protests against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our infographic .
- Article 207.3 (Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation) was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 — this is how the authorities responded to anti-war speeches and statements, as well as the dissemination of information about the war that does not come from official Russian sources. The maximum penalty under the article is 15 years in prison.