Mediazona
@mediazona_en
Followers
9K
Following
78
Media
2K
Statuses
4K
Independent news about Russia. Investigative reporting, trial live-blogging, digital censorship coverage (now censored in Russia). Russian account: @mediazzzona
Joined June 2022
THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. Mediazona is struggling. We’ve tracked 100K Russian casualties in Ukraine. Covered political prisoners repression. We survived Putin’s censors. Our reporters risk prison. Our editors will now work without pay. We need your help:
20
138
387
Today, Putin signed the notorious law that practically deprives the Russian queer community of the right to exist openly. The new ban equates homosexuality with pedophilia and introduces enormous fines for distributing any kind of queer content
55
1K
4K
70-year-old Oleg Orlov, Soviet era dissident, co-chair of Memorial, hostage negotiator, and one of the most prominent human right defenders in Russia, is being taken from court, which sentenced him to 2.5 years in prison for "discrediting" the Russian army. Video: Mediazona
128
979
2K
Russia and Belarus are the only former Soviet states not included in Donald Trump’s sweeping new “reciprocal tariffs”. Ukraine faces a 10% tariff, the EU 20%, and China 34%.
109
980
2K
A Russian draft, senseless and merciless. One recruit describes sheer dysfunction at his base: boots covered with moss and AKs from the 80s; a recruit without a driver’s license is now an IFV driver; trained snipers are now rocket launcher operators.
23
317
1K
“Lies, lies, and nothing but lies. It will collapse and fall apart. Putin’s state is unviable”. Benedict Cumberbatch reads Alexei Navalny’s letter
13
247
1K
EU Ambassador to Russia Roland Galharague laid flowers at the Solovetsky Stone, a monument in Moscow to the victims of political repression, in memory of Alexei Navalny. Photo: @novayagazeta_en
20
268
933
Today, Russia's Supreme Court designated the “international LGBT movement” as an “extremist organisation,” following a motion filed by the Ministry of Justice. It took judge Oleg Nefedov 4 hours to make the decision
13
611
962
Three days after the announcement of Alexei Navalny’s death in the Arctic prison, his family still can’t claim or even see his body. We discovered live cam footage of a midnight convoy possibly transporting Navalny’s body over the ice river crossing.
13
208
895
72-year-old artist and activist Elena Osipova was detained in Saint Petersburg in a park where she came to commemorate Alexei Navalny. She drew a painting with the words "Alexei Navalny. Stop Putin's operations". Photo: Bumaga
6
96
888
For the first time in history, the head of another state—Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was placed on the Russian wanted list. This is just one of Mediazona's many findings in the comlete wanted database: .
50
254
704
After yesterday’s funeral, people kept coming to the cemetery all day today, to pay their respects to Alexei Navalny. Video: Mediazona
11
96
706
Political prisoner Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year sentence for treason and spreading “fakes” about the Russian army, sent flowers to the grave of Alexei Navalny. Photo: Mediazona
7
84
713
Today Moscow politician Ilya Yashin was sent to jail for two months pending investigation of spreading “fake information” about the murders in Bucha. He faces up to 10 years in prison. The court hearing was held behind closed doors, no journalists were allowed inside
11
194
655
Alexei Navalny’s team reveals illegal recordings of his meetings with lawyers
8
89
690
Novaya Gazeta reporter Elena Milashina has been diagnosed with multiple fractures of her wrists (up to 14), a traumatic brain injury and multiple contusions after yesterday’s assault in Chechnya. She underwent examination in a Moscow clinic. The world needs to see these images:
44
233
633
Hi! . At Mediazona, we’ve been covering repression and injustice of the almighty state for over 8 years. War reshaped reality dramatically, so now we try to bring our best reporting to international audience — in English. Meet our new website!. (1/9).
10
175
632
The Map of Fire. Since the start of the war against Ukraine, 54 army recruitment centers and government offices have been set on fire in Russia. 17 incidents have taken place in the last five days following Putin's announcement of mobilization
6
164
611
Mediazona condemns another inhumane decision of the Russian authorities and encourages readers to share information about human rights violations in our country. This thread was written by a Russian trans person. Thank you for your attention. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️.
1
31
587
People who came to bid farewell to Alexei Navalny are chanting “No to war” as they make their way to the Borisovskoye cemetery . Video: Mediazona
11
135
542
First photos of Alexei @navalny from his maximum security colony in Russia's Far North. Navalny appeared in court today, via video. He is suing the prison administration, protesting against disciplinary penalties and harsh conditions. Photo: Alexandra Astakhova / Mediazona
28
130
588
Press conference of freed Russian political prisoners begins in Bonn, Germany, with Ilya Yashin, Andrei Pivovarov, and Vladimir Kara-Murza speaking. Kara-Murza reveals he and Yashin refused to write pardon requests. They had to enter Germany on internal Russian passports
50
129
560
State pressure on the queer community began in Russia a long time ago, but this law made the already vulnerable position of queer people even worse. The ban will affect a huge number of people—from activists, human rights workers, and content creators to ordinary citizens.
1
31
569
“I’m glad to know you. And proud of it.” A surreal conversation between two political prisoners. Today, Alexei Navalny appeared via video link from his prison in the trial against Lilia Chanysheva, his associate who faces up to 18 years in prison. Here’s their brief chat:
17
112
573
Alexei Navalny was buried two days ago. People are coming in droves to pay their respects to the Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow. Video: Mediazona reader
6
59
585
Borisovskoye cemetery where Alexei Navalny is buried closed at 5pm, but people who came to bid farewell didn’t leave, demanded to be let in, and threw flowers over the fence. Video: Mediazona
10
49
566
People are chanting "Freedom for political prisoners," as they they make their way from the church in Maryino, where Alexei Navalny's funeral service was held, to the Borisovskoye cemetery. Video: Mediazona
11
131
548
At least 8 law enforcers, faces closed, escort Oleg Orlov from the courtroom. People who gathered to support him are crying “We love you!”. Video: Mediazona
10
144
506
According to Kira Yarmysh, an hour ago, Navalny’s mother received a call from an investigator with an ultimatum: either she agrees to a secret burial within 3 hours, or Alexey will be buried WITHIN the prison grounds. She refused to negotiate with the Investigative Committee.
Час назад матери Алексея позвонил следователь и поставил ультиматум. Или она в течение 3 часов соглашается на тайные похороны без публичного прощания, или Алексея захоронят в колонии. Она отказалась вести переговоры с СК, потому что у них нет полномочий решать, как и где ей.
19
184
499
People mourning Navalny in the streets surrounding the church in the Maryino district of Moscow. Video: Navalny's team
4
97
509
Sobesednik, a weekly newspaper, was the only print publication in Russia that put Alexei Navalny on its cover after he died—with a quote “. but there is still hope.” Today, the whole circulation of the issue was confiscated from stores in Moscow. Photo: Echo
9
87
487
Lyudmila Navalnaya, Alexei's mother, came to the cemetery where he is buried today, thanked everyone who helped her and remembers her son—and talked about his murderers. Video: Mediazona
4
55
504
On the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death, people are coming to the Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow, where he is buried. The line stretches for hundreds of meters. Video: Mediazona
9
75
497
A 15-year-old got 5 years in prison for “participation in a terrorist organisation.” The FSB claims Arseny Turbin from the Lipetsk region was spreading “propaganda on instructions from the curators” from the Freedom of Russia Legion fighting in Ukraine, @hrc_memorial reports. 1/3
22
152
458
Moscow City Court toughened the sentence for Yury Kokhovets, who gave a street interview to RFE/RL and talked about the war un Ukraine. Instead of 5 years of penal labor, Kokhovets will now have to serve 5.5 years of actual prison time. He was taken into custody in the court
Moscow resident Yury Kokhovets sentenced to 5 years of penal labor for a street interview to RFE/RL
43
210
430
Orthodox priest Grigory Mikhnov-Voytenko was detained on the way to the monument for political repression victims in Saint Petersburg, where he was going to preform a memorial service. Since yesterday, people brought flowers there in memory of Alexei Navalny
3
87
457
US citizen Ksenia Karelina is sentenced to 12 years for treason by Russian court. On 24 Feb 2022, she donated $51.8 to a humanitarian foundation Razom for Ukraine from her US bank account. Karelina was arrested in Jan 2024 when she came to Yekaterinburg to visit family. Photo: VK
28
191
413
Ilya Yashin tweets first photo after release in the prisoner swap, still in prison uniforms with Vadim Ostanin, ex-Navalny campaign coordinator from Barnaul. They are joined by @ACF_int leaders Maria Pevchikh, Ivan Zhdanov, and Leonid Volkov
6
33
445
Hundreds of mourners continue to queue outside Navalny’s cemetery, as the police permit entry in batches of 50. They hold flowers and candles, quietly singing uplifting songs. Our reporter says the line stretches for at least 200 meters, with passing vehicles honking in support
4
68
417
Yashin on swap: “Realizing you’re free because a murderer is free is difficult. It’s emotionally very hard.” He refused to ask for pardon: “I won’t ask for mercy from Putin, whom I consider a war criminal, a tyrant, a murderer. I’ll never seek mercy from my country’s enemy”
11
80
381
When Putin announced his mobilisation, one IT professional from southern Russia decided to leave. But not the country, as many of his colleagues had done. Instead, he went into the woods. “It feels like I have to leave my own land. Why should I run away?”.
4
141
412
Over just two months, September and October, more that 23,000 inmates vanished from Russian prisons. The sharpest drop in prison population of the decade coincided with the private military company Wagner Group’s efforts to enlist convicts to fight in Ukraine. See graphic:
14
123
364
A video of a Russian mercenary performing some kind of a stand-up routine is circulating on social media. Igor Mangushev is holding a skull and claiming that it belonged to a murdered Ukrainian soldier. This is a short thread to sum up who that person is.
10
108
364
BREAKING: The body of Alexei Navalny was released to his mother.
Тело Алексея отдали матери. Спасибо большое всем, кто требовал этого вместе с нами. Пока Людмила Ивановна в Салехарде. Похороны еще впереди. Мы не знаем, будет ли власть мешать провести их так, как этого хочет семья и как того заслуживает Алексей. Мы будем сообщать информацию по.
2
35
375
“This young guy, he wants to strip [his rifle], pulls the spring and it just snaps and falls to pieces inside the gun. What if something like this happens in Ukraine?” wonders this recruit. He is yet to be deployed .
9
61
331
This is Irina Navalnaya, a 25-year-old Ukrainian from Mariupol, during her first court hearing in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. She’s accused of plotting a terrorist act during a “referendum” in occupied Mariupol on annexation. Navalnaya denies the charges. Ph: Alexandra Astakhova
1
52
361
Moscow mourns Alexei Navalny. Photos: Andrei Ehlinger, Navalny’s supporter
1
40
359
BREAKING @Reuters producer Konstantin Gabov was just sent to pre-trial detention in Moscow, accused of “participating in an extremist community” for preparing content earlier for Navalny LIVE YouTube channel
13
185
312
One of the youngest Russian political prisoners, Arseny Turbin, 16, has lost 17 kilos since June 2024, when he was put in prison for 5 years on “terrorism” charges. His mother told Mediazona, he was taken to a hospital recently, but only to see an otorhinolaryngologist
4
79
334
An areal view of a line to the Russian embassy in Yerevan. People gather to vote in presidential elections there around 12pm, a time set by Alexei Navalny for the Noon Against Putin protest. Video: Kovcheg
17
70
300
After Mediazona released a video about a convoy that may have transported Alexei Navalny’s body from the penal colony to a morgue in Salekhard, a source contacted us and provided the license plates for vehicles. We verified this information—and here are the details we discovered
1
63
307
According to the White House, President Biden also “affirmed that his Administration will announce major new sanctions against Russia tomorrow in response to Aleksey’s death, Russia’s repression and aggression, and its brutal and illegal war in Ukraine”.
Today, I met with Yulia and Dasha Navalnaya – Aleksey Navalny's loved ones – to express my condolences for their devastating loss. Aleksey's legacy of courage will live on in Yulia and Dasha, and the countless people across Russia fighting for democracy and human rights.
3
22
307
BREAKING: Alexei Navalny’s ally Leonid Volkov was just assaulted close to his residence in Lithuania. According to Kira Yarmysh, the assailant shattered his car window using a hammer and then sprayed tear gas into Volkov’s eyes. Then he repeatedly hit Volkov with the hammer.
На Леонида Волкова @leonidvolkov только что напали у его дома. Ему разбили окно в машине и распылили в глаза слезоточивый газ, после чего нападавший стал бить Леонида молотком. Сейчас Леонид находится дома, к нему едет полиция и скорая.
5
106
289
Throughout the whole weekend, thousands of people brought flowers to Alexei Navalny's grave. The line stretched for half a mile. The cross on the grave was covered with flowers. After the cemetery closed, people threw flowers over the fence. Photo report:
6
33
292
Oleg Orlov is getting in a prisoner transport vehicle. Video: Mediazona
3
72
264
Moscow opposition politician Ilya Yashin now faces up to 10 years in prison over ‘discrediting’ the Russian army. He condemned the Bucha murders, officially dismissed by by the MoD as a ’staged’ provocation. Here's the story of his defiance: .
3
80
270
Alexei Navalny’s mother was finally allowed to view her son’s body, but she is not permitted to claim it. Investigators have imposed conditions on the burial, dictating the location, timing, and the manner of the ceremony. They want to carry out the burial in secret, she says.
2
62
279
As of May 2023, at least 47,000 Russian military have lost their lives in the invasion of Ukraine, a joint investigation by Mediazona and @meduza_en reveals. This is by far the most extensive look into the casualties scale yet. Read the full report:.
10
54
261
Outside the cemetery, people quietly chant “Navalny is a hero of Russia,” met with “Thank you, Alexei” from within. Civilian-clad men prompt visitors at the grave to continue moving for everyone to pay respects. Flowers, candles, and posters adorn the grave. Video: Mediazona
4
46
270
This is 3-year-old Timofey, who loved space. On April 4, as he was coming home from the playground, a Russian ballistic missile struck Kryvyi Rih. Timofey died in the hospital. The strike killed 8 more children and 10 adults, injuring 62 (incl. 12 children). 📷: Svoi Kryvyi Rih
12
59
285
Hello, I’m Sergei Smirnov, editor-in-chief of Mediazona. We’re turning 10 this week. We started with the premise that in Russia, there’s no politics—only courts. Sadly, we were right. For a decade, we’ve documented repression, meticulously collecting information on human rights
10
57
270
A Chechen LGBTQ+ refugee Idris Arsamikov returned to Russia from the Netherlands for his father’s funeral. Now he faces torture and death—Moscow police gave him up to their colleagues from Chechnya.
6
148
265
Today, Russian State Duma in the first reading unanimously approved the package of bills banning “LGBT+ propaganda” among Russians of all ages. What does it mean for queer people in Russia. A thread
6
170
252
The leader of the legendary Russian DDT group, Yuri Shevchuk, was fined 50,000 rubles (about $820) for anti-war statements. “Homeland is not the president’s ass, which must be kissed all the time. Homeland is an old woman who sells potatoes at the railway station”, he said
6
55
248
These brave Russian women are imprisoned for their work or anti-war activism. (1/3)
7
100
255
Alexei Navalny wrote the book Patriot while recovering from an attempt on his life in Germany and later, upon his return to Russia, in prison, where he was killed in February 2024
4
18
267
Thanks to everyone who corrected our count from the previous tweet: one ‘fuck’ in ‘clusterfuck’ was not highlighted. Apologies, fixed.
2
14
238
Count the number of ‘fucks’ in this short piece, and you’ll get the idea of the situation with morale among those drafted in Putin’s mobilisation.
8
33
227
Today’s prisoner swap freed 11 of Russia’s political prisoners—just over 1% of the estimated 700 serving sentences for political reasons, per OVD-Info. And this doesn’t even include those awaiting trial. A happy day, but a small step, with hundreds still behind bars
0
106
244
A convoy crossed the ice road from Labytnangi to Salekhard at midnight on February 16. We suspect that onboard one of the vehicles was the body of Alexei Navalny. His family still hasn’t been able to see it, three days after the announcement of his death.
2
67
247
New violence in Chechnya. Novaya Gazeta reporter Elena Milashina and lawyer Alexander Nemov were attacked by armed individuals in Grozny. They arrived for the verdict of Zarema Musaeva, who was abducted by Chechen security services from Nizhny Novgorod in January 2022.
2
53
247
This is just utterly horrendous. “They want it to be done secretly, without a farewell ceremony. They want to bring me to the edge of the cemetery, to a fresh grave and say, ‘Here lies your son.’ I do not consent to this” says Lyudmila Navalnaya
“They are threatening me. Looking me in the eyes, they say that if I don’t agree to a secret funeral, they’ll do something to my son’s body. Investigator Voropaev openly told me: time is not on your side, the body is decomposing.”. Full video in Russian:
0
66
251
Dmitry Ivanov, mathematician and administrator of the Protesting MGU (Moscow State University) Telegram channel, was sentenced to 8.5 years for anti-war statements today. Here's what he was able to say in court. 📹: Natalya Demina / Mediazona
7
84
222
Here's how Russia's ban on the “international LGBT movement” works:.- you post this emoji 🏳️🌈 in a private chat with 11 people,.- you get 6 days of jail. That's what happened to Igor Krasnov, chief of former presidential candidate Boris Nadezhdin's HQ in Vladivostok.
5
51
240
The hearse with Navalny's body arrived at the church, people applauded and chanted the politician's name. Video: Mediazona
3
53
231
Released political prisoner Sasha Skochilenko reunites with her girlfriend Sonya Subbotina in Germany. Video and photo by David Frenkel, Mediazona
4
31
237
Yulia Navalnaya, Alexei’s widow, launched her personal account @yulia_navalnaya yesterday. Today, it was suspended. She had over 94,000 followers. How come, @elonmusk?.
7
23
234
Breaking: Moscow was targeted by a drone attack early this morning. Debris from the drones was discovered on Komsomolsky Prospekt, and another drone made impact at a business center on Likhachev Street. Video: SHOT Telegram channel
8
46
207
Alexei Navalny’s family is being denied his body. This morning, his mother, Lyudmila, and lawyer, Leonid Solovyev, arrived at his prison in the Arctic village of Kharp. After a two-hour wait, they were told that the body had already been taken to the morgue in Salekhard. (1/4).
2
36
224
Mediazona has confirmed the names of 100,001 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine—a milestone of immeasurable suffering hidden by the Russian government. This is still an undercount, of course: volunteers have 10,000+ more obituaries to review. 1/4
5
81
230
This is Denis Okhryamkin, an anti-war activist from a village in the Kaluga region near Moscow. During a search at his house, FSB officers tortured him, beaten, and threatened with sexual assault using a dumbbell. They demanded he confess to arson of relay cabinets
6
64
203
Almost half a million Russians have been drafted despite government’s claims that only 300,000 would be needed. How do we know? We count fast-track marriages (usually couples have to apply 1 month in advance) to get an estimated number. Read the study:.
3
75
208
As the Russian Election Commission reports a (suspect) 50% turnout mid-2nd day of voting, people in Moscow bring fresh flowers and tributes to Alexei Navalny’s grave, replacing the withered ones that are removed by cemetery staff. Photos: Alexandra Astakhova / Mediazona
2
45
215
Kara-Murza on prisoner swap: “We categorically refused to write any pardon requests to citizen Putin.” He states they were forcibly removed: “No one asked for our consent.” He concludes: “A fun state, never a dull moment”. Photo: Mediazona
5
32
190
Alexei @navalny has spent 1000 days in prison, 224 of which were in the harshest SHIZO conditions. In total, he has spent over a year in stricter confinement conditions. Combined with the arrests of his lawyers, the politician is now effectively cut off from the outside world
1
55
209
Vladimir Putin’s presidential elections: where mental and physical gymnastics collide. Video from a polling station in St. Petersburg
7
48
204
Meet Irina Tsybaneva, 60, an accountant from St. Petersburg. Today, she was put under house arrest for an unusual crime. One day before Vladimir Putin’s birthday, Oct. 7, Tsybaneva went to the cemetery and left a note on the grave of Putin’s parents.
21
82
189
Russian volunteer Alexander Demidenko died in a pre-trial detention center. He was helping Ukrainian refugees to return home. Photo: SOTAvision
1
44
195
Today, the "Russia against Putin" march was held in Berlin. Organised by Yulia Navalnaya, Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza, it was dedicated to three anniversaries: Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine (3rd), Alexei Navalny's murder (1st) and Boris Nemtsov's assassination
2
35
205
As crowds continue marching towards the cemetery, a large group of mourners on the sidewalk near a local mall close to the cemetery are chanting Navalny’s name. The vicinity is heavily crowded. Video: Mediazona
6
47
183
In St. Petersburg, the trial of artist Sasha Skochilenko, accused of spreading “fake news” due to replacing price tags in a store with anti-war statements, is ending. The prosecutor demands 8 years of penal colony for the young woman, who has been imprisoned for 1,5 years. 📷: MZ
6
93
178
The cemetery gates have now been closed, marking the end of the farewell procession. Alexei Navalny has been laid to rest. Commemorative memorials continue to stand in the courtyards throughout the neighborhood
1
18
181
These Russians are being prosecuted after speaking out about the murdered civilians in Bucha. A thread.
2
55
180
Mediazona’s Tatiana Felgengauer was arrested (in absentia) by a court in Moscow today. The creative producer of our YouTube channel and host of weekly streams is being prosecuted for violation of “foreign agent” restrictions
5
14
185
In Lithuania, political prisoner Lilia Chanysheva, who was a part of the exchange between Russia and the West on August 1, met her husband Almaz Gatin for the first time since the swap. Lilia posted this video in her Telegram channel with a caption: “I love you so, my Almaz ❤️”
0
12
178
People are setting up makeshift memorials outside the cemetery while they await entry. Navalny’s allies announce a brief pause for the grave to be fully covered and wreaths laid, and then the mourners will be allowed to approach again. Photos: Mediazona
4
26
172