Sergey Smirnov

Affiliated media: Mediazona, Editor-in-chief

Incident date: November 13, 2025

Attack type:

• Criminal/administrative prosecution excluding (1), (2) and (3)

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Mass Media Defence Centre

Location: Russia, Moscow, Moscow

Additional information:

Sergey Smirnov, editor-in-chief of Mediazona, has been fined 100,000 roubles (approximately €1,073 EUR) by Moscow’s Butyrsky Court for failing to submit a “foreign agent” report (Part 2 of Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation). Two reports were brought against him, each carrying a fine of 50,000 roubles. A criminal case has also been opened against Smirnov for evading his obligations as a “foreign agent” (Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).