- Roman Dobrokhotov, founder and editor-in-chief of The Insider, has said authorities have declared him a wanted man
- The Insider helped to identify state security officials said to be behind the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August last year
- Mr Dobrokhotov is accused of illegally crossing the border into Ukraine on the night of July 31 on foot with the help of other unnamed people
- The Federal Security Service (FSB) — the successor agency to the Soviet KGB — says it will seek his arrest and prosecution
- Mr Dobrokhotov says his passport was confiscated in July after police searched his home and named him as a witness in an unrelated slander case
The editor of a Russian news outlet that angered the Kremlin with its investigations, including into the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, has said authorities have declared him a wanted man.
Roman Dobrokhotov, founder and editor-in-chief of The Insider, told Reuters he stood accused of illegally crossing the border to leave Russia.
He said he was currently outside Russia and did not want to disclose his location. He also offered no information as to how he had left the country.
The Federal Security Service (FSB) — successor agency to the Soviet KGB — claims Mr Dobrokhotov illegally crossed the border into Ukraine on the night of July 31 on foot with the help of other unnamed people.
In a statement, the FSB said it would seek his arrest and prosecution.
Media organisations and journalists critical of authorities had faced increasing pressure before a parliamentary election this month. Meanwhile the campaign against those deemed threats to political stability has so far shown no sign of letting up.
The Insider helped to identify state security officials who are said to be behind the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in August last year, angering the Kremlin which denies any responsibility for the attack.
It’s one of several media outlets Russia has declared “foreign agent” media this year. However, it denies that publishers are targeted for political reasons and said action against them was based solely on the law.
On Thursday morning, law enforcement officers searched two Moscow apartments belonging to Mr Dobrokhotov’s family and parents, and seized mobile phones and computers, the editor said on Twitter. The FSB also took his wife and father in for questioning, according to The Insider.
Mr Dobrokhotov said police had confiscated his passport in July after officers searched his home and named him as a witness in an unrelated slander case.