A lawyer, a media manager, several journalists, and a literary award have been added to the register of 'foreign agents'.

The Ministry of Justice has updated its register of “foreign agents,” adding lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov, media manager and former owner of Vedomosti and The Moscow Times Demyan Kudryavtsev, Republic’s editor-in-chief Zinaida Pronchenko, as well as Novaya Gazeta journalist Andrei Kalitin and the independent literary prize “DAR.” This was announced on the ministry’s website.

According to the Ministry of Justice, all the individuals now designated as “foreign agents” and the organisation concerned “spread false information” about the authorities of the Russian Federation and its policies.

Dmitry Zakhvatov, among other things, has spoken out against the war in Ukraine and is “one of the leaders of a project aimed at raising funds” for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Justice claims that Andrei Kalitin “collaborates with a foreign agent” and was involved in creating materials for “foreign agents” and “undesirable organisations.”

Demyan Kudryavtsev and Zinaida Pronchenko have also spoken against the war in Ukraine and participated in creating materials for “foreign agents.” The Ministry highlights that Republic’s editor-in-chief also “interacts with a foreign agent.”

The ministry noted that all four public figures live outside Russia.

Regarding the “DAR” literary prize, the Ministry of Justice noted that its “founder is a foreign organisation,” while the co-founders are “individuals included in the register of foreign agents.”