According to the Ministry of Justice, teacher Vadim Zitzer participated in the creation and dissemination of messages and materials of 'foreign agents' for an unlimited audience, spread 'unreliable information' about the activities and decisions of the Russian authorities. Zitzer spoke out against the war in Ukraine and 'formed a negative image of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation', the agency indicated.
In the opinion of the Ministry of Justice, all journalists also took an anti-war stance and, with the help of 'unreliable information', 'formed a negative image' of the Russian army. Journalist BBC* Ilya Babishov also collaborated with foreign media, Vladimir Raevsky acted as a respondent on platforms provided by foreign media, and interacted with an 'undesirable' organization. Kemerovo journalist Andrey Novashov collaborated with 'foreign agents'.
Blogger Andrey Suvorkin, as indicated by the Ministry of Justice, 'publicly expressed support for Ukraine'.
The unified registry of 'foreign agents' has been maintained since December 1, 2022, and includes individuals, registered and unregistered non-profit and non-governmental organizations. Currently, it contains more than 900 entries. 'Foreign agents' are required to publish texts and messages with a notification that they are produced by a 'foreign agent'. Fines are provided for evasion of 'foreign agent' duties, and repeated violations of the law result in criminal liability. By the end of 2024, 170 people received two fines under the administrative article on violation of the order of 'foreign agent' activities.
The State Duma passed a law prohibiting the placement of advertisements with 'foreign agents', and 'foreign agents' themselves are prohibited from participating in elections. Also, all income of 'foreign agents' in Russia, including the sale and rental of real estate, will be deposited into a special ruble account, which can only be accessed after the 'foreign agent' status is removed.
* Recognized as a 'foreign agent' in Russia.