Journalists of “Important stories” were detained at the rally near the Ministry of Justice against the law on foreign agents

At a rally in Moscow near the building of the Ministry of Justice, where a series of single pickets were organized against the law on “foreign agents”, the police detained the participants. Among the detainees were the journalists of Vostochnye Stories Alesya Marokhovskaya, Irina Dolinina and Polina Uzhvak, informs OVD-Info. They will be taken to the Yakimanka police station.

The posters held by the journalists read: “There are no foreign agents, there are journalists!”

Alesya Marokhovskaya reported “Dozhu” that went to a picket demanding to abolish the law on “foreign agents” and remove all media and journalists from the relevant register.

“We are against the persecution of journalists and the ban on our work, because there is no other name for it,” said Irina Dolinina. – We do not perform any foreign functions, we do not work in the interests of any other state besides Russia, and we are not even engaged in political activities, but simply cover what is happening here. We write our investigations only in the interests of Russian citizens. The fact that we are recognized as “foreign agents” is simply a ban on honest journalistic activities, nothing else. “

This year, the authorities have stepped up pressure on independent media. In the spring, the Ministry of Justice declared Meduza and VTimes “foreign agents.” In July “Project” became the first media to be recognized as an “undesirable organization”. On August 20, the Ministry of Justice added to the list of “foreign agents” making in it “Rain”, “Important stories” and several journalists, including Alesya Marokhovskaya and Irina Dolinina.

Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov spokethat the inclusion of journalists in the register is “not the equivalent of a ban on work.” However, in reality, the status of a “foreign agent” is like a “black mark” that carries negative consequences that cannot be calculated. For example, Alesya Marakhovskaya could not take part in the hackathon due to refusal of its organizers cooperate with her.

“Their lawyers believe that then they themselves are at risk of becoming foreign agents. This is how the “wonderful” colleagues were the first to demonstrate to me what it means to be a foreign agent in Russia: they will shun you and piss to do business with you, ”the journalist wrote.