The independent publication ASTRA, founded by journalist Anastasia Chumakova, with an audience of over 250,000 subscribers on Telegram, according to the Ministry of Justice, spreads 'unreliable information' about the activities of the Russian authorities and the decisions made, as well as creates a negative image of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Protests against the war in Ukraine and the fact that 'the creator and chief editor of the internet portal resides outside the Russian Federation' made the publication a 'foreign agent', the agency believes.
'This is just another way for the Russian authorities to pressure independent media and their readers. They fear the truth and want the citizens of Russia to watch Channel One, read RT, where only fakes and lies can be found. But we will continue our work despite everything,' responded the editorial team of ASTRA.
Doctor of Philological Sciences, literary critic Oleg Lekmanov, in addition to 'unreliable information' about the Russian authorities and the Russian army, participated in the creation and distribution of 'foreign agent' materials, as well as participated in 'foreign agent' events.
Member of the 'Yabloko' party Nikolai Kavkazsky and blogger Anton Khardin were included in the registry for spreading 'unreliable information' and collaborating with 'foreign agents'. In addition, activist of the 'Free Udmurtia' movement Artem Medvedev was accused of calling for the violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation.
The unified registry of 'foreign agents' has been maintained since December 1, 2022, and currently contains 877 entries.