Russian journalist dies after self-immolation, blames 'Russian Federation'

Irina Slavina, editor of KozaPress, set herself on fire outside a government office

Irina-Slavina-AP Irina Slavina poses for a photo, in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. The editor of a Russian news website has died after setting herself on fire outside a regional police headquarters the day after officers searched her residence | AP

Irina Slavina, editor-in-chief of the Russian news outlet KozaPress, has died after setting herself on fire in front of the ministry of internal affairs building in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Slavina, whose house was recently raided by the police, had made a Facebook post an hour before her death in which she said, “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death.”

Slavina had gotten in trouble with the Russian government in the past for organising a march in the memory of slain opposition Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated on the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge in 2015.

“They were looking for brochures, leaflets, invoices of Open Russia, possibly an icon with the face of Mikhail Khodorkovsky,” she had written following the raid on her house, which was undertaken as part of allegations that she was linked to the Open Russia movement—allegations KozaPress call unfounded.

“I don't have any of this. But they took away what they found—all the flash drives, my laptop, my daughter's laptop, the computer, phones—not just mine, but also my husband’s—a bunch of my notebooks that I scribbled on during press conferences. I'm left without any means of production."

According to Pravda, her reporting had been critical of the Nizhny Novgorod administration.

The KozaPress describes itself as news and analysis without censorship, and with no directions “from above” as per their Facebook page.

An independent election monitor, Golos, has demanded a criminal case be filed on abetting suicide, saying she was a victim of bullying by law enforcement officials.

“Despite the fact that she was declared just a witness, all equipment was seized from Irina, and she had to dress under the supervision of police officers. At the same time, due to her public activity, including coverage of elections and participation in observation, for several years she was systematically persecuted by the security forces...” Golos said in a statement, as reported by KozaPress.

“We demand a thorough investigation into the legality and proportionality of the actions of law enforcement agencies in relation to Irina Slavina, other civil activists and observers who were injured during the searches, as well as initiate a criminal case for driving to suicide.”

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny blamed the ‘siloviks’ (politicians with security or military backgrounds) for Slavina’s death, alleging that they had staged a “months-long unceasing harassment of the opposition” in the city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Navalny himself recently survived an attempt on his life after travelling from Siberia, with the nerve agent Novichok reportedly used to poison his tea.

Russian authorities have opened a preliminary investigation into her death, Reuters reported the local Investigative Committee as saying on Friday.

Reporters Without Borders had ranked Russia 149th in the world in their press freedom index, noting that murders and physical attacks against journalists “continue to go unpunished”.

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