Kobra Hassani

Affiliated media: Afganistan Youth TV, Journalist (Afghanistan)

Incident date: June 7, 2023

Attack type:

• Administrative arrest, remand, pre-trial detention, prison

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: MR7

Location: Russia, Saint Petersburg, St. Petersburg

Additional information:

Afghan journalist Kobra Hassani and a group of other Afghan citizens begin to be tried in St. Petersburg on charges of illegally crossing the Russian border (Part 3 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Kobra worked for Afghan TV channels, including Afghanistan Youth TV for the American company National Public Radio. After the Taliban came to power, the journalist fled the country to Ukraine and enrolled at Kyiv State University. After the Russian invasion began, Hassani wanted to flee to the EU, but fraudsters tricked her into travelling to Russia. She travelled first to Moscow, then to St. Petersburg, where she was detained. In May, the journalist was transferred from the pre-trial detention center to the Center for Temporary Detention of Foreigners in Krasnoye Selo.