Russian film critic Yekaterina Barabash fled house arrest and failed to appear at her trial on charges of spreading “deliberately false information” about the Russian army, state media reported Monday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the case.
Barabash, 64, was placed under house arrest in February over social media posts in which she allegedly spread “false information” about the Russian Armed Forces.
Moscow’s branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service discovered she had violated the terms of her house arrest on April 13, according to the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.
Authorities have since issued an arrest warrant, RIA Novosti and TASS reported Monday.
Exiled news outlet Meduza noted that Barabash’s name does not currently appear in the Interior Ministry’s wanted persons database. Meanwhile, the RBC news site reported that criminal proceedings against her were suspended for unspecified reasons.
On Monday, a Moscow court ordered Barabash to be placed in pre-trial detention in her absence. She did not attend the hearing, and her lawyer, Mikhail Biryukov, declined to comment, RBC said.
A vocal critic of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Barabash wrote in March 2022 that Russia had “bombed the country” and “razed whole cities to the ground.”
Shortly after launching the invasion in February 2022, Russia criminalized public criticism of its military operations abroad.
Barabash, the daughter of prominent Soviet literary critic Yuri Barabash, has worked for outlets including Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Forbes Russia and Interfax. In 2016, she said she was fired from Interfax for criticizing the government.
Russia’s Justice Ministry added her to its “foreign agents” registry in April, accusing her of spreading “fake news” about the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
AFP contributed reporting.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
