On 7 September 2023, journalist Evgeniya Baltatarova said she had been fined 30 thousand rubles by a court in the Russian city of Ulan-Ude, on grounds of not fulfilling the demands Russian law places on “foreign agents”, which Baltatarova was previously designated as. The journalist, who currently resides in Kazakhstan, said she would appeal the court’s decision.
In October 2022, the Russian Justice Ministry designated journalist Evgeniya Baltatarova, along with other activists, as a “foreign agent”, claiming that she “engaged in political activity”. Baltatarova is a journalist from Russia’s Buryatiya region, who left the country after police searched her apartment soon after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. Authorities also opened an investigation into her for alleged “discreditation” of the Russian army due to her social media posts in support of Ukraine.
Journalists designated as “foreign agents” are submitted to publication restrictions in Russia, and are obliged to declare their activities and revenues to the Russian Justice Ministry.
UPDATE: On 28 March 2024, Baltatarova said that Russian authorities had opened a criminal case against her on charges of not complying with regulations on “foreign agents”, which oblige her to submit regular financial and activity reports to authorities, as well as to mark her publications as created by a “foreign agent”. Prior to this, authorities had opened a separate criminal case against her for allegedly disseminating what Russian authorities consider to be “fake news” about the war in Ukraine. In January 2024, Baltatarova was able to leave Kazakhstan for France, where she is currently in the process of obtaining refugee status.