18:43, 4 February 2021

Russian media to repost materials of "Mediazona"

Sergey Smirnov. Screenshot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CevVV1HI7zM

Independent Russian media announced their decision to repost materials of the "Mediazona" in protest against the prosecution of its editor-in-chief Sergey Smirnov, who was arrested for 25 days on the charge of violating the procedure for holding a public event.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 30, Sergey Smirnov, the editor-in-chief of the "Mediazona", was detained in Moscow after the police drew up a protocol against him for participation in the protest action on January 23. On February 3, the court found Sergey Smirnov guilty of violating the procedure for holding a public event and sentenced him to 25 days of administrative arrest.

On the main page of its Russian-language website, the "Caucasian Knot" posted a banner with a hyperlink to the "Mediazona" in support of Sergey Smirnov. We insist that the right to a fair trial, that is, the right provided for by both the Russian Constitution and the International Human Rights Convention, has been violated in relation to our colleague.

According to the calculations run by the "Caucasian Knot", after the report about the arrest of Sergey Smirnov, more than 20 Russian media expressed their support to him. Members of the "Syndicate 100", the association of independent Russian media outlets, announce their intention to repost key materials of the "Mediazona" for 25 days in protest.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 4, 2021 at 01:55 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.