On 7 October 2024, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it opened criminal cases against two more journalists who reported from the town of Sudzha following its occupation by Ukrainian forces. The decision concerned France 24 reporter Catherine Norris Trent and Swiss correspondent Kurt Pelda, who works for media holding CH Media. Both 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 and September, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) initiated identical proceedings against at least 10 other foreign journalists who reported from Sudzha, according to IPI monitoring.
UPDATE: On 26 November 2024, France 24 reported that a court in Russia had arrested Catherine Norris Trent in absentia.