Citizenship Revoked Amidst 'False Information' Charges
Roman Anin, a distinguished Russian investigative journalist and the founder of the independent media outlet Important Stories (IStories), has been stripped of his Russian citizenship. The decision, reported on December 23-24, 2025, by state media, was enacted by the Migration Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yaroslavl Region. This move follows Anin's in-absentia conviction earlier in March 2025 for 'spreading false information about the army'.
The revocation marks a significant development, reportedly being the first known instance of a Russian journalist losing citizenship for their reporting on the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Legal Basis and Conviction Details
The decision to revoke Anin's citizenship was made under subparagraph 'a' of paragraph 2 of part 1 of Article 22 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ of April 28, 2023, 'On Citizenship of the Russian Federation'. This law, which came into force in October 2023, established grounds for revoking acquired citizenship, including convictions for 'spreading false information about the army'.
Anin, who was born in Moldova and acquired Russian citizenship in 2006, was sentenced in absentia to 8.5 years in a penal colony by the Dorogomilovo District Court in Moscow in March 2025. The charges stemmed from three videos released by IStories in 2022, which included:
- Two news reviews by Anin.
- An investigation by journalist Ekaterina Fomina into the killing of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine.
Background of a Critical Voice
Roman Anin has a long and distinguished career in investigative journalism. He previously worked for Novaya Gazeta and gained international recognition for his involvement in the Panama Papers investigation. In 2019, he founded IStories, which quickly became known for its investigations into corruption and cronyism within Russian military, political, and business circles.
Russian authorities designated both Anin and IStories as 'foreign agents', and in March 2022, IStories was declared an 'undesirable organization', effectively banning its operations within Russia. Anin himself left Russia in 2021 after facing searches by the Federal Security Service (FSB) related to his past reporting.
6 Comments
Africa
His 'investigations' were clearly anti-Russian propaganda. Justice served.
Bermudez
This is pure political persecution for telling the truth.
Habibi
Another journalist punished for exposing inconvenient facts. Shameful.
ZmeeLove
While the Russian state cites legal grounds for this action, the international community will undoubtedly view it as a severe infringement on human rights and journalistic independence.
Muchacho
Stripping citizenship for journalism? A new low for Russia.
Bella Ciao
This move clearly demonstrates Russia's firm stance against dissent and foreign-backed media. However, it also deepens the rift with Western nations and further isolates Russian society from independent information.