The homes of four publishers and some of their family members were searched, DOXA said in an official statement posted on their website.
According to DOXA, phones and laptops were confiscated during the searches, and journalists Armen Aramyan, Alla Gutnikova, Vladimir Metelkin and Natalia Tishkevich were taken by the Russian investigative committee for questioning. All four journalists have now been charged with inciting minors to protest, said DOXA, which also denied the accusation.
“There were no calls for illegal action in our video – we said that young people should not be afraid to express their opinions,” the DOXA statement said. Agora, the legal organization representing the four journalists, sent CNN to the DOXA statement.
The committee of inquiry did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
The four will be subject to strict pre-trial communication restrictions until June 14, according to a statement from Moscow’s Basmanny court. According to DOXA, the restrictions include a ban on leaving their homes between midnight and 11:59 p.m., Internet use and communication with anyone other than lawyers and close relatives.
DOXA magazine started as a small online publication run mostly by students at the Moscow School of Economics. Since then he has grown and become independent.
The magazine said the raids were linked to a video made earlier this year in which the magazine’s editors explained to students that it was illegal for them to be expelled from the university for participating in protests in support of Alexey Navalny.
The video was removed from the DOXA YouTube channel following a request from Russian regulator Roskomnadzor in late January, just days after it was originally posted. The surveillance body claimed that the video encouraged participation in unauthorized protests – a claim that DOXA disputes.
“The pressure that the journalistic community has been facing lately is unprecedented, but we will not stop our activities. We will continue to highlight what is important for young people and we will continue to advocate for their rights,” DOXA said in a statement.
A “new low level” for press freedom
Amnesty International has called the raids a “new minimum” for press freedom in Russia.
Russia has also promised to take action against social platforms that do not eliminate posts that the Kremlin considers illegal or incite people to take part in “unauthorized protests”.
Last Friday, the independent Russian investigative press IStories said that the Russian intelligence agency FSB raided its offices, as well as the home of the investigative journalist Roman Anin, editor-in-chief of IStories.
Anin’s lawyer, Anna Stavitsakaya, said Anin’s raids, brief detention and interrogation were carried out in connection with a story published by Anin in 2016. Anin is known for exposing corruption in Russia.
The European Union has expressed concern about the Anin incident in a statement released on Sunday. “We call on the Russian authorities to comply with their international and domestic obligations. Freedom of the press should be respected. The EU will continue to monitor the issue closely,” the statement said.