On 27 September 2024, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had opened three more criminal cases against foreign journalists who traveled to parts of Russia’s Kursk region which are currently under Ukrainian occupation. The journalists, who traveled to the area for reporting work, were listed as follows: Fletcher Young and Catherine Diss, both American citizens working for Australian TV channel ABC, as well as Romanian journalist Mircea Barbu. All three were accused of illegally crossing Russia’s state border. If found guilty, they would face a sentence of up to five years in prison in absentia according to Russia’s criminal code.
The decision came amidst a Ukrainian military offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, in the course of which Ukraine captured several settlements near its border. Ukrainian and international journalists later arrived to the area to report on the situation. Throughout August, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) initiated identical proceedings against at least seven other foreign journalists who reported from Sudzha, according to IPI monitoring.
UPDATE: On 24 October 2024, Russian media reported that a court in Kursk had arrested Barbu in absentia.
UPDATE: On 6 February 2025, Russian media reported that a court in Kursk had arrested Young and Diss in absentia.