Russian-Crimean Prosecutor General wants to ban US-funded news site
The Prosecutor General of Russian-Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya, stated in her comment to TASS that she is preparing to fully block Radio Free Europe's Krym.Realii project.
“We have gathered materials for the General Prosecutor’s Office of Russia and Roskomnadzor for the complete closure of the Krym.Realii information service,” she said.
The Prosecutor General’s official website also reported its initiative on the blocking of separate publications of Krym.Realii. “Content analysis of this resource demonstrates its focus on discrediting the activities of the Russian Federation on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, incitement of inter-ethnic hostility and implementation of calls for extremist activities.”
On the morning of April 19th, Russian security servicemen carried out a number of searches in the houses of journalists in Crimea, looking for connections with Krym.Realii. Prosecutor General Poklonskaya announced the initiation of criminal proceedings against Crimean journalists under the article of Russian legislation on separatism for publications in media. Later, it became known that the charges targeted Nicolai Semena. His son told Krym.Realii that the search of his father’s house lasted five hours.
The Prosecutor General’s official website also provides information about the implementation of investigative actions against a number of other journalists. However, their names were not revealed by the agency. State lawyer Emil Kurbedinov reported that two more journalists were taken to the FSB after the search.
The Head of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, Yuriy Lukanov, called the searches in the houses of Crimean journalists “pressure on free press.” He reported that the Independent Media Trade Union is already preparing a statement of appeal to international organizations with a request to influence the situation.