Timur Almaev, chief editor of independent news website ProUfu, was fined 60,000 roubles (€769) by a court in the city of Ufa after his outlet published a story alleging that 1,000 graves were dug in the city for possible victims of COVID-19. The news was originally reported by the publication Kommersant-Ufa. The source for the information was the press secretary of the mayor’s office at Ufa City Hall. However, the next day the Ufa administration posted a message that the information was false, leading to the media being accused of publishing fake news. The outlet was forced to ammend the article.
Covid-19Censorship and regulationPublication ban, take-down order or forced deletion, fine, administrative action