A court in Moscow has ordered the arrest in absentia of Natalya Sindeyeva, the chief editor and board chairperson of independent television channel TV Rain.
The Presnensky District Court of Moscow also placed Mark Ten, the general director of the channel, under an in absentia arrest order for two months, the court press service told news outlet Lenta.ru.
Both Sindeyeva and Ten face criminal charges under Part 3 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The statute penalises organising the activities of a foreign or international entity that has been declared an undesirable organisation on Russian territory.
Russian authorities opened the criminal case against Sindeyeva in mid-August. Earlier reports indicated that the chief editor could face the loss of her real estate in Moscow, which includes an apartment and several country houses.
Legal status and official registries
The Russian Ministry of Justice previously added TV Rain, also known as Dozhd, to its registry of foreign agents, and Russian authorities subsequently designated the broadcaster as an undesirable organisation. The Ministry of Justice has also individually listed Sindeyeva as a foreign agent.
TV Rain is a Russian independent news channel founded in 2010. The network established itself as a major provider of non-state news coverage in Russia, offering reporting on political developments and civic issues prior to encountering severe administrative restrictions from state authorities.
Under Russian legislation, an undesirable organisation designation prohibits an entity from conducting any activities within the Russian Federation. Working with or organising activities for an undesirable group carries criminal penalties under Russian law, while foreign agent designations impose strict administrative mandates and financial reporting obligations on designated individuals and outlets.
Procedure for in absentia detention
An arrest in absentia is a formal court ruling utilised in Russian criminal procedure when defendants are not physically present before the court. The designation authorises Russian law enforcement agencies to place accused individuals on official wanted lists and pursue judicial asset measures.
The two-month pre-trial detention period specified by the Presnensky District Court would take effect only if the accused individuals are detained on Russian territory or extradited to the country.
