Russian federal investigators have launched a criminal case against Galina Timchenko, co-founder and CEO of Meduza, on charges of organizing the activities of a designated “undesirable organization.” According to investigators, in September 2024 and March 2025, Timchenko published videos online “to foment protest sentiment and to involve the public in the activities of an organization recognized as undesirable within the territory of the Russian Federation.” If convicted, she faces up to six years in prison.
In a statement, the Federal Investigative Committee’s Moscow office said it is considering adding Timchenko to a federal wanted list, pending the outcome of the investigation.
In August 2024, Russia’s Justice Ministry labeled Timchenko a “foreign agent.” Two months earlier, a Moscow court fined her 14,000 rubles (roughly $175) in a misdemeanor case related to her alleged involvement in the activities of an “undesirable organization.” (Meduza received this status in January 2023 for its independent reporting on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.) Court records show that the fine was issued after Timchenko discussed the newsroom’s operations and answered readers’ emails during a podcast episode published in January 2024.
