UPD: RIA 'Novosti' reported, citing a source in law enforcement agencies, that a criminal case against Yuri Dud has already been initiated.
The prosecution demands to initiate a case against Dud for evading the fulfillment of 'foreign agent' duties, as the journalist was twice held administratively liable within a year for publications without the 'foreign agent' label, but after that, Dud continued to make posts without indicating his status, the department's Telegram channel reported.
Under the article for the absence of labeling, the court in Moscow last fined Dud 45 thousand rubles in April. In February, he was fined 40 thousand rubles under a similar protocol. The journalist was also fined twice under this article in 2024.
Yuri Dud's YouTube channel has over ten million subscribers. The Ministry of Justice included him in the 'foreign agents' registry in April 2022.
In March 2024, the journalist stopped placing the 'foreign agent' label in his posts and urged businessmen to buy advertising from him, despite the ban in Russian legislation. The journalist stated that such a ban 'directly contradicts the Constitution'.
By the end of 2024, 170 people received two fines each under the administrative article on violating the order of 'foreign agent' activities.
Last year, at least 45 journalists became subjects of criminal cases. According to the 'Center for the Protection of Media Rights' foundation*, criminal cases were initiated against 16 journalists for non-fulfillment of 'foreign agent' duties, against 10 for military 'fakes', and eight more people became subjects of a case for participation in an 'extremist' community. At least seven criminal cases were initiated against journalists under the article on 'justification of terrorism'.
* Recognized as 'foreign agents' in Russia.