Novaya Gazeta reporter Ilya Azar hit with administrative charges for ‘discrediting’ Russian army

Police filed administrative charges against Ilya Azar, reporter of Novaya Gazeta, for “discrediting” the Russian army, a Moscow court informed on Friday.

Police told Azar that he was charged for one of his posts on Facebook, however, they did not specify which one, the reporter said on his Telegram channel. He faces a fine of up to 100,000 rubles (about $1,500).

Earlier, Russian human rights project OVD-Info estimated that a total of 1,258 administrative protocols for “discrediting” the Russian army were filed in the period from March 4 to April 22 of this year.

It was reported on April 28 that an 11-year-old school student was put on probation in the city of Kamyshin in Russia’s Volgograd Region for “discrediting” the Russian army on social media. A school raid was held by local police officers on April 14 - April 22. In total, 146 administrative protocols were filed by local police, including 21 charges filed against teenagers.