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A new criminal case under anti-terrorism legislation has been opened against Dmitry Fomintsev, a journalist from Yekaterinburg who has emigrated. This became known after he was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s list of “terrorists and extremists.” The local news outlet “Vecheriye Vedomosti” drew attention to the updated list.

The publication suggests the case may have been opened against the journalist under legislation on “justifying terrorism” because of his posts on social media.

In January 2024, Fomintsev was searched in connection with a criminal case for “offending religious feelings” (Article 148 of the Criminal Code). At that time, he was questioned as a witness. In June, it became known that Fomintsev had been named as a suspect in the case, and in July he was put on a wanted list. It is not known which exact publication became the basis for the criminal case. According to the journalist himself, the case was opened after “a whole stack” of complaints about his posts regarding Metropolitan Yevgeny Kulberg of Yekaterinburg and Verkhoturye.

Amidst the persecution, Fomintsev moved to Germany. In November of that same year, he closed down the publication TochkaNews, which he headed, and also deleted his Telegram channel “Irod Ural’skiy,” where he regularly wrote about the Russian authorities and clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church.

11:45 Dmitry Fomintsev confirmed to It’s My City that the new case was opened under the article on justification of terrorism (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code).

The journalist learnt about the new criminal case from his lawyer, who contacted the investigator. The reason for opening the case is unknown.

24 July The grounds for the latest case against Fomintsev was a post about the killing of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov in December 2024, according to Vecheriye Vedomosti.

The publication clarifies that this post appeared in the Telegram channel “Irod Pouekhavshiy,” previously run by Fomintsev. The post discussed the killing in Moscow of the head of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops, Igor Kirillov. After the murder, an investigation was opened, including under articles relating to a terrorist act. RBC, citing sources, reported that, according to the main version held by investigators, Ukrainian military were behind the killing.

Fomintsev clarified that the case was opened because he commented “A dog’s death for a dog” on this news.

“Since when has this saying ever been JUSTIFICATION OF TERRORISM?” he protested.

A linguistic examination carried out by the Ural Regional Centre for Forensic Examination of the Ministry of Justice stated that the author of the post “expresses a positive attitude towards the events, explicitly using language expressing contempt for the victim of the described actions.”

The case for justification was opened in April 2025. However, the Telegram channel in which the post appeared was deleted in January 2025.

Next week, a court in Yekaterinburg—a major city in the Urals—will decide in absentia on a pre-trial restraint measure for Fomintsev, who now lives in Germany.