Russian editor decries 'destruction of media' before election

• Some media outlets have been fined or forced out of business after being labelled "foreign agents", a designation that carries negative Soviet-era connotations.
• "The Insider" and Roman Dobrokhotov, its editor-in-chief, angered the Kremlin by helping identify state security officials it said were behind the poisoning of Alexei Navalny in August last year.
• Authorities searched Dobrokhotov's home in July.

The editor-in-chief of a Russian news outlet designated a "foreign agent" after it investigated the poisoning of opposition politician Alexei Navalny has accused the Russian state of destroying the media.

"The Insider" and Roman Dobrokhotov, its editor-in-chief, angered the Kremlin by helping identify state security officials it said were behind the poisoning of Navalny in August last year. The Kremlin has denied responsibility for Navalny falling ill and cast the incident as a Western-backed special operation to besmirch its reputation.

The online outlet has published stories about the lives of Russia's secretive elite and collaborated with Bellingcat, a Dutch-based investigative website whose probes into Moscow's intelligence services have been condemned by Russian state officials as Western propaganda, which it denies.

The authorities searched Dobrokhotov's home in July after declaring his outlet a "foreign agent" and opened a criminal case against him for libel. He called the accusation nonsense:

Media outlets and journalists critical of the authorities have faced increasing pressure in the run-up to a parliamentary election this month.

The ruling United Russia party that supports President Vladimir Putin has never faced a serious challenge during his two decades in power, but election disputes in the past have led to street demonstrations. Kremlin opponents say the authorities are more worried than ever because of declining living standards.

READ HERE | Russia announces new criminal charge against Navalny

Some media outlets have been fined or forced out of business after being labelled "foreign agents", a designation that carries negative Soviet-era connotations, affects advertising revenue and compels them to issue a public disclaimer about their status and regularly account for how they spend revenue.

The Kremlin denies media outlets are targeted for political reasons, says action against them is solely based on the law, and says those media which are labelled as foreign agents can continue their work in Russia.