On 5 September 2023, a court in the city of Pskov received a request to fine journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army, according to Sever.Realii, the regional service in northwestern Russia of the Prague-based online media outlet RFE/RL. If found guilty, Prokopyeva faces a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles. According to the journalist, she does not know on what grounds she was accused.
In June, the Russian Ministry of Justice designated Prokopyeva as a “foreign agent”, obliging her to add disclaimers on this status to her publications, supply authorities with regular audits on financing and activity, as well as imposing several other restrictions. In a statement, the Ministry cited several reasons for designating Prokopyeva as a “foreign agent”, including her criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Sever.Realii correspondent left Russia in March 2022, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, after police conducted a violent search at her home in Pskov, reportedly accusing her of having spread “false information”. Prokopyeva moved to continue her work in Riga, Latvia.
UPDATE: On September 18, a court in Pskov fined Prokopyeva 35 thousand rubles on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army.