Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against Meduza special correspondent Andrey Pertsev on charges of participating in the activities of a designated “undesirable” organization.
The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that Pertsev had been charged in absentia. If convicted, he faces a fine of up to 500,000 rubles (more than $6,500), compulsory labor, or up to four years in prison.
In November 2024, a Moscow court fined Pertsev 5,000 rubles ($65) in a misdemeanor case related to his alleged involvement in an “undesirable” organization. Prosecutors are now pursuing a felony case against him, alleging that he continues to “act as a correspondent” for Meduza and “disseminate informational materials online concerning economic, political, and social processes occurring in the Russian Federation.”
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office declared Meduza an “undesirable” organization in January 2023, claiming its activities “pose a threat” to national security. Since then, Russian authorities have issued dozens of misdemeanor fines to journalists, experts, and readers for allegedly cooperating with the newsroom. Several other Meduza staff members also face criminal charges.
In late December 2025, a Moscow court sentenced Meduza co-founder and CEO Galina Timchenko to five years in prison in absentia on charges of leading an “undesirable” organization.
