Exiled, convicted, surveilled: how Russia has prosecuted nearly 70 journalists beyond its borders

In early October, Russian courts tried four leading figures of independent journalism in absentia in the span of 48 hours. Ekaterina Kotrikadze, deputy editor-in-chief of TV Rain and a prominent face on the channel, was "arrested" in absentia along with her colleague Valeria Ratnikovaon 2 October for allegedly disseminating "false information" about the army and violating the "foreign agent"law. The arrests were made in their absence as both journalists live in the Netherlands - an absurd measure enshrined in the Russian Code of Criminal Procedure. The same day, Anna Mongayt, another TV Rainanchor based in the Netherlands, was sentenced to five yearsin prison for her posts on Telegram. The next day, the renowned reporter Ilya Azar, now in Latvia, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for allegedly organising activities for an "undesirable organisation."

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, 66 media professionals have been arrested or convicted in absentia because of their work, according to figures cross-checked by RSF with JFJ, which combats impunity for attacks on the media in the post-Soviet space. An arrest or conviction in absentia makes any return to Russia impossible as entering the country, even briefly, means immediate arrest. This figure excludes numerous pending cases, which fuel more insecurity and precarity for journalists in exile. Even when a case is suspended, it can be reopened at any time.

Two journalists targeted per month on average

Since 2022, in absentia arrests and convictions have multiplied. On average, two journalists were targeted every month over the 44-month period. A peak occurred in the second half of 2024, with an average of four cases per month. The judicial authorities zealously continued this practice as 15 journalists were arrested or convicted in absentia in the third quarter of 2025 and the tally for the current year may exceed that of 2024, indicating a sustained intensification of transnational repression.

These in absentia rulings allow Russian authorities to hand down prison sentences against exiled journalists who are often not even notified of the proceedings. The legal procedures remain opaque, preventing these media professionals from organising a defence and facilitating reprisals that extend beyond courtrooms. They lead to searches at registered addresses in Russia - including relatives' homes - neighbours being questioned and the seizure of personal property. They also render banking, economic or administrative activity in Russia virtually impossible. Family members who remain in Russia are directly subjected to this pressure as their phones and computers may be searched at airports or border posts, and their correspondence is often thoroughly read.

The effects of these rulings extend well beyond Russian territory. Some journalists are refused passport renewals at embassies, which blocks their ability to obtain or extend their visas abroad. They also face expulsion or extradition in countries that cooperate with Moscow on security matters, whether these countries are their places of residence or places of transit.

The legal censorship of Russian and foreign journalists

Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code, adopted after the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, has become the most commonly used tool to silence journalists: any information not validated by the Kremlin may be labelled "false" and prosecuted. In addition, the charge of "illegal border crossing" under Article 322 has been widely used against foreign reporters who produced coverage from the Kursk region after the surprise incursion by Ukrainian forces.

A year ago, in October 2024, a wave of in absentia arrests hit foreign reporters on the basis of article 322. Among them were British journalist Nick Paton Walshof the US broadcaster CNN, Simone Trainiand Stefania Battistinifrom Italy's public broadcaster RAI, and Mircea Barbufrom Romania's online outlet HotNews.ro, who was also targeted by death threats posted on Russian Telegram channels. Several Ukrainians have also been arrested in absentia on this basis, and RSF notes that this flagrantly violates international humanitarian law - in particular Article 79 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions, which protects journalists in armed conflict.

Towards the automatic criminalisation of "foreign agents"

The harsh obligations forced on the individuals designated under the stigmatising legal status of "foreign agents"are increasingly used against exiled journalists. For example, Denis Kamalyagin, editor-in-chief of regional outlet Pskovskaya Guberniya, - one of the first three Russian journalistslabelled as a foreign agent in December 2020 - was arrested in absentiaon 7 February 2024. "Foreign agents" are required to open a specific bank account in roubles, add a disclaimer to each one of their publications and submit a monthly financial report - and the legislation keeps tightening. A bill adoptedon 25 September 2025 provides for criminal prosecution from the first violation of these rules (previously, at least two infringements in the same calendar year were required to trigger prosecution).

The official list of "foreign agents" now includes more than 1,000 individuals and organisations, two-thirds of whom are journalists and media outlets, according to data compiled by the Russian NGO OVD-Info. Most, forced into exile, can no longer comply with the law's untenable obligations and face the risk of prosecution at any moment.

Ukrainians and exiled Russians first in the line of fire

Since March 2022, journalists convicted in absentia have received sentences of eight years in prison on average. The longest term to date was imposed on the Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Gordon, founder of a highly popular Russian-language news channel on YouTube. Sentenced to 14 years in prison in absentia on 1 July 2024, he was subsequently the target of two failed assassination attempts, in September 2024 and June 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. The alleged perpetrator of the 2025 attempt was arrested as he was preparing to carry out the crime.

Other journalists sentenced in absentia have also been dangerously targeted in exile. Bulgarian national Christo Grozev,former lead Russia investigator for the investigative collective Bellingcat, and Roman Dobrokhotov, editor-in-chief of the independent Russian outlet The Insider, also survived assassination attempts. These cases - linked to a network of Bulgarian criminals convicted in the United Kingdom- illustrate the serious risks of in absentia convictions: beyond legal constraints, it can mark a journalist as someone to be eliminated.

Russia is not the only country with in absentia prosecutions. The practice is now widely used in Belarus and is beginning to take hold in Azerbaijan, where the first cases of journalists targeted by this tactic were recorded last spring. These proceedings are part of a broader plan to asphyxiate press freedom. Nearly 50 Russian and Ukrainian journalists are currently imprisoned in Russia, which ranks 171st of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.