A criminal case has been opened against a journalist from Saratov over a voice message.

A criminal case has been opened against Saratov journalist and blogger Elena Nalimova over a voice message. This was reported by the publication “Fourth Estate.”

Nalimova is accused of insulting a government official (Art. 319 of the Criminal Code). According to the official version, Nalimova recorded a voice message in a chat for opponents of construction in the “Children’s Territory” park. The journalist, according to “Fourth Estate,” insults regional Duma deputy Yulia Litnevskaya, and also “instructs her supporters on how to put pressure on her in dialogue.”

“Fourth Estate” stated that people known to Nalimova noticed words in the voice message “typical of her vocabulary.” The case was initiated after a complaint by Alexei Antonov, chair of the regional Duma.

Elena Nalimova reported threats and harassment. For example, in the Telegram channel “They Write on the Fence Too”, several insulting posts about the journalist and her family are published daily. Nalimova also receives threats in private messages and comments on her channel. In one screenshot published by the journalist, an unknown person writes: “Bitch, you’ll push it too far. Don’t let me catch you on the street. If you come to the park again, I’ll break your legs.”

• Elena Nalimova and other Saratov residents are protesting against the construction of a school near the “Children’s Territory” park in Saratov, a major city on the Volga River.