Russian authorities have added TV presenter Tatyana Lazareva to the list of “terrorists and extremists,” according to a statement from the press service of Rosfinmonitoring. Lazareva, who lives outside of Russia, was placed on the wanted list in the Russian Federation on June 17 for alleged justification of terrorism as per Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code.
The case against Lazareva was opened after a denunciation by Russian State Duma deputy Andrei Alshevskikh, who raised concerns about her statements regarding attacks by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles on Russian territory. Initially, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not find any violations in her words, but after a linguistic examination, they concluded that her statements could be seen as justifying terrorist activities.
Following an official response from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the deputy, a criminal case was opened against Tatyana Lazareva on May 17. Subsequently, she was placed on the wanted list in Russia.
These actions have sparked controversy and debate as to whether Lazareva’s statements truly constitute justification for terrorism or if her freedom of speech is being unjustly restricted. The situation has garnered attention both within Russia and internationally, highlighting the complex intersection of politics, media, and speech rights.
