On 14 September 2022, the Moscow city court disbanded the Russian independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers, citing alleged “unsolvable violations” and claiming the organization did not respond to legal demands.
According to Maksim Krupsky, the Union’s attorney, authorities were unhappy with the organization’s support for political prisoners, opposition journalists and independent media.
The Union of Journalists and Media Workers also published reports on the persecution of media in Russia, organized a campaign in support of journalists who faced violence, and sent inquiries to authorities after the death of Russian journalist Oksana Baulina in Ukraine, writes the BBC’s Russian service.
According to the prosecutor in the case, members of the trade union were repeatedly fined and detained for participating in unauthorized protests. These included demonstrations demanding the release of detained journalist Ivan Safronov. Union representatives were also charged with raising funds in support of media recognized as “foreign agents” in Russia.
Maksim Krupsky also said the Russian Ministry of Justice and prosecutors did not provide documents proving the need to ban the organization.
The Russian Union of Journalists and Media Workers was founded in 2016 and included more than 600 members from 40 regions of Russia. It was a member of the International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ).