A CNN reporter had reported from the Kursk region occupied by Ukraine – which is why Russia's secret service is now investigating him. Moscow also wants to issue arrest warrants against two Ukrainian and Italian journalists.
The Russian domestic intelligence service FSB says it has launched criminal investigations against several foreign journalists for reporting in the Russian region of Kursk. The Ukrainian army controls several towns there and reporters had reported on it.
The FSB announced that investigations had been launched against a reporter from the US broadcaster CNN and two Ukrainian journalists for “illegally crossing the state border”. According to the report, the journalists had taken video recordings in the city of Sudzha, which is controlled by Ukrainian troops.
The secret service announced that it would issue international arrest warrants shortly. The three journalists face up to five years in prison in Russia. The US broadcaster CNN has not yet commented.
Already worked in Moscow for a long time
According to the FSB, the CNN journalist is Nick Paton Walsh, the channel's chief correspondent for international security. He reported for CNN from Sudzha on August 16. Walsh is a British citizen. He previously worked for the British TV program “Channel 4 News” and the British newspaper “The Guardian” in Moscow.
The Ukrainian journalists are Diana Buzko, who reported from Sudzha for the web station Hromadske, and Olesja Borowik, who reported from there on behalf of the TV station My-Ukraina. The names of the three will soon be “put on an international wanted list,” the FSB further stated.
Investigations also against Italian journalists
The criminal investigations against the three journalists are based on the same allegations as the proceedings against two Italian journalists from the Italian public broadcaster RAI, the FSB said. Its employees Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini reported from Sudzha last week.
Russia then summoned the Italian ambassador, Cecilia Piccioni, to the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. On Saturday, criminal investigations were initiated against the two Italians.
No more media freedom
According to Reporters Without Borders, there has been no freedom of the media in Russia since the start of the war of aggression. Media houses are being closed, journalists are being declared “foreign agents” and “censorship is being massively tightened”. Russia is threatening journalists with punishment for “discrediting” its armed forces. Last year, the maximum sentence for such cases was raised from five to 15 years.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin also uses foreign journalists for his own ends: only recently, US journalist Evan Gershkovich was able to return to his homeland from Russian custody as part of a prisoner exchange. He had been sentenced to 16 years in a prison camp for alleged espionage – something the US and the Wall Street Journal described as absurd.
