Editor of Russia's Regnum news agency detained in Moscow on Minsk's request

Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Publication Date 15 March 2017
Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Editor of Russia's Regnum news agency detained in Moscow on Minsk's request, 15 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a65c4.html [accessed 17 September 2023]
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March 15, 2017

Yuriy BaranchykYuriy Baranchyk

The editor in chief of Russia's Regnum news agency, Belarusian citizen Yuriy Baranchyk, has been detained in Moscow on Minsk's request.

The Belarusian Investigative Committee says Baranchyk was detained on March 14 and his possible extradition to Minsk is under discussion now.

Baranchyk, who lives in Moscow, is wanted in Minsk on suspicion of "inciting racial, ethnic, religious or other social hatred or discord by a group of individuals."

Three other Belarusian nationals suspected in the same crime have been charged, the Investigative Committee says.

Moscow law-enforcement officials have confirmed Baranchyk's detainment.

Regnum is a nongovernmental online news service that covers events in Russia and former Soviet republics.

Earlier on March 10, another Regnum chief editor, Grigory Mikhailov, was deported from Kyrgyzstan for failure to prolong the registration of his residence in the Central Asian nation.

Mikhailov told RFE/RL that his deportation was linked to his professional activities, adding that according to the Kyrgyz legislation, he should have been fined for delayed registration but not deported.

With reporting by TASS and RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service

Link to original story on RFE/RL website

Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036

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