the journalist who wrote about Prigozhin’s ex-employee is being threatened

The St. Petersburg publication “Rotonda” reported on the threats that its journalist Serafim Romanov began to receive after he tried to interview the former editor-in-chief of one of the media holdings associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had gone to Spain on a study visa.

“Rotonda” told about the departure to Spain of Ksenia Parfyonova, who headed the “Politics Today” website until March, on March 30. “Politics Today” belongs to the “Patriot” media group. At the end of February, the European Union introduced sanctions against this media group. Parfenova, who applied for a visa before the introduction of sanctions, was afraid that she would not be given a visa – but she still received it. Parfenova herself is not on the sanctions list, issuing her a visa does not mean a violation of the sanctions regime.

Before the publication of the note about Parfyonova, Romanov contacted her and asked for an interview, but she refused, saying that she intended to “pause any relationship with the mass media.” After the publication of “Rotonda” Romanov began receiving threats and insults. The publication claims that screenshots of Romanov and Parfyonova, possibly obtained by “former colleagues” from her, are also being published, and telegram channels and “trolls” associated with Prigozhin’s structures are conducting a negative campaign against “Rotonda”.

Parfyonova herself renamed her Instagram page and restricted access to it. As “Rotonda” writes, the Spanish media tried to contact her, but so far they have not succeeded.