Russia puts Bellingcat partner Dobrokhotov on wanted list: Journalist is accused of illegally crossing state border into Ukraine

The Russian authorities have put Roman Dobrokhotov, the founder of online publication The Insider, on the country’s wanted list, after he fled the country by allegedly illegally crossing the border to Ukraine’s Lugansk region.

That’s according to his lawyer, Yulia Kuznetsova, who revealed that the reporter, who has teamed up with the US government-funded Bellingcat for numerous investigations in Russia, has been declared wanted by the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Dobrokhotov no longer lives in Russia and authorities are aware that he is abroad.

On Thursday morning, the journalist revealed that his parent’s flat had been raided as part of the search, with law enforcement taking all phones and computers. His wife, who still lives in Moscow with their children, was also hauled in for questioning.

This is not the first time Dobrohotov has received attention from the country’s law enforcement. In July, Moscow police raided his home in connection to a defamation case. The journalist has been accused of libel by Dutch researcher Max van der Werff, after The Insider claimed the Dutchman secretly cooperated with the GRU, Russia’s foreign military intelligence agency, to spread "disinformation" about the Malaysian Airlines Boeing MH17 that was shot down over Ukrainian territory in July 2014.

The Insider was designated by the country’s Ministry of Justice as a foreign agent earlier this year. However, unlike many other outlets with the tag, the publication has not followed the legal requirements imposed by the state, refusing to attach a ‘foreign agent’ disclaimer to its articles.

On Wednesday, The Insider was awarded an Emmy, alongside Bellingcat, Der Spiegel and CNN, for its investigation into the poisoning of jailed opposition figure Alexey Navalny.

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