A protocol was drawn up on the “voluntary foreign agent” Marat Nikandrov

Roskomnadzor notified Marat Nikandrov, a native of Pskov, who had previously himself asked to be included in the register of so-called foreign agents, that a report on abuse of freedom of mass information had been drawn up against him. The reason was that Nikandrov posted a video clip of the edition “Nastoyastchee vremya” on his “Daily Fakh” resource, but did not accompany it with a “foreign agency” marking.

The video talked about the termination of parental rights of the former editor of the First Channel, Maryna Ovsyannikova. The publication “Nastoyastchee vremya” was entered by the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the register of “foreign agents” in 2017. According to Russian laws, such publications must be accompanied by a notice that their author or publisher is a “foreign agent”.

The protocol was drawn up for a legal entity: Nikandrov registered “Daily Fax” as a mass media, in which he is the chief editor.

According to the blogger, he received an electronic notification about the protocol from Roskomnadzor on October 27. He did not receive the report personally, reports Sever.Realii. Instead, his lawyer was present, who stated that Nikandrov did not agree with the alleged offense.

19-year-old Marat Nikandrov was added to the list of “foreign agents” on November 17. Ten days before that, he himself filled out a form on the website of the Ministry of Justice – as he himself said, “as a joke”. This is the first time in Russia that a person who independently entered his data in the register is recognized as a “foreign agent”.

• Legislation on “foreign agents” in Russia appeared in 2012. The law allowed the Ministry of Justice to recognize non-profit organizations as agents if they receive funding from abroad and engage in political activity. Subsequently, it became possible to recognize mass media and individuals as “foreign agents”, including those who do not receive foreign funding, but “are under foreign influence”. Russian legislation does not specify what exactly should be considered foreign influence.