On 26 December 2022, the Russian Interior Ministry placed investigative journalist Christo Grozev on its ‘wanted list’. Grozev was charged under Article 207.3 of the Russian criminal code, which penalizes “spreading knowingly false information” about the Russian Armed Forces. Punishments range from fines to imprisonment of up to three years.
Christo Grozev is lead Russia investigator at the international investigative collective Bellingcat, and is known for a series of publications, including on the poisoning of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny.
In response to the decision by Russia’s Interior Ministry, Bulgaria summoned Russia’s ambassador to provide explanations. Russian representative Eleonora Mitrofanova was quoted saying “we won’t chase him around the world, and this just means that one more time we are telling him he’s not wanted here.”
The Bulgarian Prime Minister also commented on the case, saying that Russia’s decision was “unacceptable” and represented an “attack on the freedom of speech.”
UPDATE: On 21 April 2023, Moscow’s Lefortovo district court in absentia arrested Christo Grozev for a period of two months. He was declared a suspect in a separate case, and was accused of allegedly illegally crossing the state border of the Russian Federation. Grozev faces up to two years in prison if convicted. On the same day, Russia’s Ministry of Justice designated the Bulgaria-born journalist as a “foreign agent”.