Russian officials open ‘foreign agent’ felony case against investigative journalism editor-in-chief and raid her parents’ home

Federal investigators in Russia’s Magadan region have charged iStories editor-in-chief Alesya Marokhovskaya with the felony offense of failing to comply with the requirements imposed on designated “foreign agents.” On Thursday, agents raided her parents’ home, seized the household’s electronics, denied the couple access to a lawyer, and interrogated Marokhovskaya’s mother about the family’s relatives in Ukraine. Investigators reportedly told Marokhovskys that their daughter must return to Russia to face prosecution.

The charges against Marokhovskaya indicate that her case was opened by a department specializing in high-profile cybercrimes. Russia’s Justice Ministry designated her as a “foreign agent” in August 2021 and has since fined her twice for the misdemeanor offense of failing to comply with the legal obligations of her status, which include onerous financial disclosures and ubiquitous labels on all public content indicating her “foreign agent” designation. 

Under the new criminal charge, Marokhovskaya faces up to two years in prison. A federal investigator contacted her via the messaging app Telegram and tried convincing her to return to Russia, reportedly claiming that “it would most likely end with just a fine,” iStories reported on Thursday. 

In late October, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia’s “foreign agent” designations of iStories and its journalists, Alesya Marokhovskaya and Irina Dolinina, violates the European Convention on Human Rights. The court, which Moscow no longer recognizes, ordered the Russian state to pay €10,000 in compensation to Marokhovskaya and Dolinina each.