MOSCOW — A Russian journalist who edited an unbiased information web site died on Friday, setting herself afire in entrance of police headquarters within the metropolis of Nizhny Novgorod, a day after investigators had searched her house there.
Simply earlier than her self-immolation, Irina Slavina, 47, the founder and editor of Koza Press, an area information website, posted a message on Fb saying: “I ask you responsible the Russian Federation for my loss of life.”
Koza Press confirmed her loss of life. The native department of the Investigative Committee, Russia’s equal of the F.B.I., said in a statement that the allegation that her loss of life had something to do with the search of her condo was “groundless.” The assertion mentioned the search had been carried out as a part of a prison case through which Ms. Slavina was thought of a witness.
Ms. Slavina said on Facebook Thursday that early within the morning 12 individuals, together with members of a particular police unit, had carried out a search of her condo. The Fb publish mentioned legislation enforcement brokers had been searching for “brochures, leaflets, accounts” from Open Russia, an opposition group, financed by Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, a Kremlin critic, who needed to flee Russia after spending greater than a decade in jail.
The search was carried out as a part of a prison case towards Mikhail Ioselevich, an area entrepreneur, who the authorities suspect was working along with Open Russia, formally considered an “undesirable group” within the nation.
Ms. Slavina’s loss of life got here towards the backdrop of rising risks confronting journalists who write about topics deemed objectionable by the Kremlin. The variety of threats and assaults towards journalists within the nation has surged in recent times, in line with incidents compiled by Justice for Journalists, an advocacy group.
“Russia stays a rustic the place working as a journalist is related to elevated dangers to life, well being and freedom,” the group says on its website.
Earlier than the search, Ms. Slavina had been constantly pressured by the native authorities. She was fined for collaborating in opposition demonstrations in Nizhny Novgorod and for mentioning Open Russia in her Fb posts.
Native authorities all through the Russian areas have been placing stress on unbiased media shops and journalists. Many have give up established publications to create their very own small web sites or blogs. Earlier than founding her personal information web site in 2016, Ms. Slavina labored in a number of native media shops, the place she all the time confronted varied types of censorship.
“I misplaced jobs thrice as a result of I can say that I poked my nostril too far,” she said in an interview in September of final yr.
The web site’s solely editor and author, Ms. Slavina printed investigative articles in regards to the inner workings of the Federal Safety Service, essentially the most highly effective safety company in Russia. Regardless of its one-member employees, Koza Press shortly become one of many most cited shops within the area.
In Nizhny Novgorod, a metropolis of 1.three million individuals 250 miles east of Moscow, individuals have been taking flowers and candles to the location of Mr. Slavina’s loss of life, in line with pictures posted online.
Natalia Gryaznevich, an acquaintance of Ms. Slavina, described her “as a courageous journalist, with none cynicism or suspiciousness.”
“She was only a very free and passionate particular person,” Ms. Gryaznevich wrote on her Facebook account. “It’s lethal harmful to be such an individual in Russia.”
