Russian court arrests Romanian journalist in absentia for reporting from Sudzha

The Lenin District Court of Kursk (Russia) arrested Romania's HotNews journalist Mircea Barbu in absentia. The judgement was passed at the request of the regional FSB branch's border guard department, reports Sota Project.

The court specified that Mircea Barbu had entered the territory of the Suzha district (Kursk region) "with other unidentified persons" to film a report.

In a comment to RFE/RL's Romanian service, Mircea Barbu said that he had been unaware of his arrest in absentia, but "given the current climate, this is unsurprising."

"I expected a response from the authorities, especially considering that I reported on the situation in Kursk on the ground without hiding it. Putting me on the international wanted list for covering the frontline situation in Kursk says a lot about the Russian authorities' attitude to information about this war. It's an attempt to intimidate me, but it won't stop me from doing my job. Namely, in Ukraine, on the front lines, as I have done so far," he said.

Despite the Russian court's verdict, Mircea Barbu said that he would continue to monitor the developments and report on the ground.

“If that means I have to pay more attention to my security and digital footprint while on the ground, then I will. If they detain me, it definitely won't stop me just because the Russians want it," the journalist concluded.

As reported earlier, Russia's Federal Security Service opened a case against Mircea Barbu in late September 2024. He was charged with illegally crossing the border and filming near Sudzha.