Roskomnadzor has filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court seeking the cessation of operations of the 'Khakassia' information agency. The announcement of this legal action appeared on the court's website on November 29. According to Khakassian blogger Mikhail Verkhoturov, the reason behind this move is the agency's publication of materials from media outlets classified as 'foreign agents,' such as Radio Liberty.
The Federal Russian Service for Supervision of Communications (Roskomnadzor) has initiated legal proceedings in the Supreme Court to halt the activities of the 'Khakassia' news agency. Prior to this, the media outlet reported the presence of Nadezhda Uzunova, a social activist, at Vladimir Putin's 'meeting with the mothers of military personnel'; Uzunova's children, however, had never served in Ukraine. Subsequently, volunteers accused Uzunova of misappropriation related to the collection of aid for the military.
Khakassian blogger Mikhail Verkhoturov asserts that the decision to shut down 'Khakassia' is linked to the publication of content from media entities designated as 'foreign agents,' such as Radio Liberty. The agency has purportedly accumulated administrative violations and warnings. Verkhoturov alleges that "members of the Ukrainian Center for Information and Psychological Operations used the information agency 'Khakassia' to destabilize the political situation in the republic."
The news agency 'Khakassia' has been operational for over 17 years. The organization has not issued any public comments regarding Roskomnadzor's lawsuit. The first court session to address the potential liquidation of the agency is scheduled for January 22, 2024.
Since the full-blown invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have shut down or compelled the closure of numerous regional media outlets. For instance, in July 2023, the 'YARNOVOSTI' media, in operation for over a decade, was disbanded after being labeled a 'foreign agent.' The outlet focused on covering the Yaroslavl region's issues, including corruption, politics, and urban development.
In December 2022, the oldest independent media outlet in the Novgorod Oblast, the 'New Novgorod Newspaper,' announced its closure, citing financial difficulties. Shortly before that, the Sakhalin information agency 'Sakh.com' declared its dissolution, and the Dagestani newspaper 'Chernovik' (‘The Draft’) ceased its print version.
