U.S.-Based Russian Journalist Says Moscow Placed Him On Wanted List

Sergei Markelov

Sergei Markelov, a Russian journalist living in the United States, said he is wanted in Russia, where a criminal case has been opened against him. Markelov shared the news on his Facebook page but did not provide further details. According to the Mediazona website, his name has not yet appeared on the Interior Ministry's official wanted list, though there are often delays between when a person is notified and they actually appear on the list. Markelov, who has worked with RFE/RL's North.Realities, the 7x7 website, and the Novaya gazeta newspaper, is accused of failing to comply with the duties of a "foreign agent" under Russian law. He was added to the "foreign agents" list in December 2020, alongside other journalists and activists. In November 2021, Markelov's appeal against his inclusion in the register was rejected by the Moscow City Court. In November 2023, Markelov and other "foreign agents" filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee, saying they were being persecuted. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.