Russian journalist Vladislav Postnikov served two consecutive 15-day administrative arrests on charges of “distributing symbols of extremist organizations.” He was detained February 28, 2025, and released March 28, 2025.
Postnikov, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper, Vecherniye Vedomosti, was sentenced to administrative detention on March 1 and March 14 after he was arrested on February 28 in the central city of Yekaterinburg. He had been scheduled to give a lecture about Ural identity that evening.
Vecherniye Vedomosti staff believes that Postnikov’s arrests are retaliation for the publication of a video from an anti-war rally in Yekaterinburg where security forces made people kneel in the snow and raise their hands. The outlet said that the arrest is an “obvious attempt to obstruct not only Postnikov's access to his social networks, but also his direct journalistic activities.”
Postnikov told CPJ that his arrest could be linked to the coverage of police activity “aimed at suppressing public actions in cities of the Sverdlovsk region in February,” especially during memorial events on the anniversaries of the deaths of late opposition leaders Boris Nemtsov and Alexey Navalny.
“I believe that my detention is undoubtedly related to my journalistic activities, as our publication […] systematically covers the activities of officials and law enforcement agencies, in particular violations of the law and human rights by law enforcers,” he said.