Russia opens criminal case against Italian journalists who reported from Ukrainian-occupied Kursk region — Novaya Gazeta Europe

Russia has opened criminal proceedings against two Italian journalists who reported last week from the Ukrainian-occupied town of Sudzha in the country's southwestern Kursk region, state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Saturday.

Reporter Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini from the Italian public broadcaster Rai are being investigated by the Russian secret service FSB for “illegally crossing the Russian state border” to get to Sudzha, RIA Novosti reported. A “legal assessment” of a report by CNN's Nick Paton Walsh from the city is also being carried out.

Rai CEO Roberto Sergio said in a statement shortly before the criminal proceedings began on Saturday that Battistini and Traini would temporarily return to Italy for their “safety and personal protection”.

The report by Battistini and Traini is believed to be the first by a Western news agency from Russia's Kursk region since Ukraine's surprise invasion of Russian territory on August 6.

Footage released by Rai on Wednesday shows his team of journalists travelling to Sudzha, accompanied by a Ukrainian military escort, and speaking to residents remaining in the town, which is currently under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU).

On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Italian ambassador to Moscow, Cecilia Piccioni, to express its “strong protest” against Rai's report, accusing the journalists of “grossly violating Russian law and the basic rules of journalistic ethics” in order to “whitewash the crimes of the Kiev regime.”

Piccioni, meanwhile, stressed that the reporters had acted “independently and autonomously,” according to Reuters.

In a joint statement, Rai's journalists' union Usigrai and Italy's national press union FNSI called Moscow's threats to investigate Battistini and Traini “unacceptable,” adding that “journalism is not a crime” and “reporting does not take place with prior authorization.”