Russian authorities on Tuesday opened a criminal case against Galina Timchenko, the founder and publisher of the exiled news website Meduza, on charges of organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization.
In a statement, the Moscow Investigative Committee accused Timchenko of posting videos online that stirred public protest sentiment and involved people in the activities of an “undesirable” organization.
The Investigative Committee said it was considering whether to place Timchenko on the country’s wanted list.
Timchenko, 64, served as editor-in-chief of the Lenta.ru news site until 2014, when she was dismissed by its Kremlin-linked owner. Following her departure, she and former Lenta.ru staff relocated to Latvia to establish Meduza, which was labeled a “foreign agent” in 2021.
In 2023, Russian prosecutors also branded Meduza as an “undesirable” organization, banning it from operating inside the country and criminalizing any association with it.
The Justice Ministry designated Timchenko as a “foreign agent” the next year, accusing her of opposing the country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine and spreading “inaccurate information aimed at forming a negative image of the Russian armed forces.”
In June 2024, a Moscow court handed Timchenko a 14,000-ruble ($175) administrative fine on charges of participating in an “undesirable organization.”
According to data collected by the exiled Mediazona news website, Russian courts have issued more than 130 fines related to involvement with media outlets designated as “undesirable.” Fifty-four of these administrative cases involve Meduza directly or mention the publication by name.
