On Thursday, law enforcement officials apprehended three staff members from Ura.ru, a news organization focused on the Urals region, as part of an investigation linked to reports that included information from anonymous police sources, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
Denis Allayarov, the editor for the Sverdlovsk area, was reportedly taken into custody at his home in Yekaterinburg and has been denied legal representation. Ura.ru stated that authorities have accessed Allayarov’s mobile phone.
In addition, correspondent Sergei Bodrov and journalist Anna Salymskaya were also arrested, as reported by TASS.
“The investigators are looking into the sources of information regarding crime reports in the Sverdlovsk region,” Ura.ru mentioned, without providing details on the specific allegations against them.
“The investigation surrounding the Sverdlovsk office, which employs 10 people, has brought operations of the entire agency, with over 200 employees across eight Russian regions, to a standstill,” they added.
The news outlet shared a video showing officers in plain clothes and masks escorting Allayarov into a van while disregarding inquiries from his lawyer.
Other footage depicted a police raid at Ura.ru’s editorial office, featuring a masked agent holding a bat.
Ura.ru reported that editor-in-chief Diana Kozlova experienced undue force during the raid and is currently undergoing a medical evaluation.
Established in 2006, Ura.ru gained recognition for its investigative journalism and critical coverage of local governance in Russia’s Ural Mountains.
Its founder, Aksana Panova, was removed from her position in 2012 after being accused of fraud and extortion, resulting in a shift in management and editorial focus.
Independent investigative outlet Proekt noted in 2022, during the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that Ura.ru had ceased its critical reporting on the Russian Defense Ministry and had produced several articles praising one of its commanders for financial compensation.
According to former Yekaterinburg journalist Dmitry Kolezev, Russian-born businessmen Artyom Bikov and Alexei Bobrov, who hold Austrian citizenship, are considered to be the beneficiaries of Ura.ru.
