Russian authorities have stripped investigative journalist Roman Anin of his citizenship, referencing his 2025 conviction for allegedly disseminating “fake” news regarding the Russian military, according to state media reports from the Yaroslavl regional branch of the Interior Ministry on Tuesday.
This action represents the first documented instance of a Russian journalist losing their citizenship due to their reporting on the comprehensive invasion of Ukraine.
The ministry invoked Article 22 of Russia’s Citizenship Law, which permits the revocation of citizenship if an individual conveys “knowingly false information” about their commitment to uphold the Constitution and Russian law.
Anin, who co-founded and publishes the exiled media outlet IStories, was sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years in prison in March for charges of publishing “fake” articles about the military, which the authorities claimed were driven by political animosity.
Originally from Moldova, Anin became a Russian citizen in 2006.
He left Russia in 2021 after being labeled a “foreign agent” and subjected to searches by the FSB linked to his previous investigations involving the alleged secret yacht of Igor Sechin’s then-wife, the head of Rosneft.
The Justice Ministry designated the Latvian-based entity of IStories as an “undesirable” organization in March 2022, effectively prohibiting the outlet’s operation within Russia.
Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia implemented laws against “discrediting” its military and spreading “deliberately false” information.
As of October 2023, legislation enabling the authorities to revoke Russian citizenship based on convictions related to these charges has been enacted.
The first case to emerge under this law involved Alexander Somryakov, a resident of Krasnodar born in Moldova, who lost his citizenship in 2024 after receiving a six-year prison sentence for a social media post about the civilian massacre in Bucha, Ukraine.
Moscow has denied any accusations of its forces committing atrocities in Bucha during the initial stages of the invasion, claiming these events were staged by Ukraine and its Western allies.
