Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash declared wanted after ‘violating’ house arrest

Russian authorities have issued a warrant for journalist and film critic Ekaterina Barabash after she reportedly violated the terms of her house arrest.

According to the state-run news agency TASS, officials from the Federal Penitentiary Service were unable to locate Barabash at her residence. On 21 April, the Pushkin District Court in Moscow ruled to replace her house arrest with detention in a penal facility, in absentia.

Barabash was initially detained on 25 February upon her return to Moscow from Berlin. She was taken into custody at a city airport and subsequently placed under house arrest pending investigation.

Authorities have charged her with disseminating what they claim is “false information” about the Russian military – an accusation frequently used in recent years against journalists and activists critical of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Russian Ministry of Justice added Barabash to its controversial list of “foreign agents,” a designation widely seen as a tool to stigmatize and restrict the activities of government critics.