The court arrested journalist Mykhailo Zygar in absentia in the case of “fakes”

A court in Moscow arrested journalist Mikhail Zygar in absentia in the case of spreading so-called fakes about the Russian army, TASS reports.

The criminal case against Zyhar became known in March 2024. It is unknown what exactly became the reason for ego excitement. Zygary’s former colleague – the editor-in-chief of “Dozhdya” Tikhon Dzyadko – wrote without reference to the source that the case was opened “as in most cases – for the publication about the crimes of the Russian army in Buche”. Zygar himself did not comment on the news.

Now Zygar is not in Russia. He actively opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine, participates in discussions about the possible future of Russia and the need to rethink its past.

In October 2022, the Russian authorities declared Zygar a “foreign agent”. In February 2024, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia declared the XZ foundation of Zygar and director Ilya Khrzhanovsky an undesirable organization. With the support of the foundation, Zygar filmed a series of animation videos “Great Russian thieves”, and the “Most” society developed a guide to help persuade relatives who repeat the theses of Russian propaganda. At the end of 2023, Zyhar’s book “War and Punishment” about “how Russia destroyed Ukraine” was published.

• According to “OVD-Info” estimates, at least 875 people have been prosecuted for their anti-war stance in Russia, including more than 270 against the article about fakes about the Russian army. Russian courts recognize reports about the war in Ukraine that do not coincide with the version of the Ministry of Defense of Russia as fakes.