Roman Anin, an investigative journalist and the founder of the independent media outlet Important Stories, has been stripped of his Russian citizenship. The move follows Anin’s conviction in a case concerning the “spreading of false information about the army,” Kommersant reports, citing a statement from the press service of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yaroslavl Region.
“After reviewing the evidence collected by the Migration Department of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yaroslavl Region, and based on subparagraph ‘a’ of paragraph 2 of part 1 of Article 22 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ of April 28, 2023, ‘On Citizenship of the Russian Federation,’ the previously acquired Russian citizenship has been revoked for a 1986-born citizen,” the statement reads. TASS clarifies that this refers specifically to Anin.
The Russian authorities have designated both Anin and Important Stories as “foreign agents.” A criminal case was opened against Anin over three videos that were released on the Important Stories YouTube channel in 2022: two news reviews and an investigation by journalist Ekaterina Fomina into the killing of civilians in Bucha. As part of that investigation, Fomina obtained a statement from Corporal Daniil Frolkin, who served as a driver-mechanic in the Russian army and personally participated in the shooting of a Ukrainian civilian.
On Mar. 31, 2025, the Dorogomilovo District Court in Moscow sentenced Anin and Fomina in absentia to 8.5 years in a penal colony for “spreading false information about the Russian armed forces motivated by political hatred.” Frolkin was sentenced by the Khabarovsk Garrison Military Court to 5 years and 6 months probation under the “fake news” article.
Anin was born and raised in Moldova and acquired Russian citizenship in 2006. He has not lived in Russia since 2021. In 2023, Russia passed a new law “On Citizenship of the Russian Federation” establishing grounds for revoking acquired citizenship, including for those found guilty of “spreading false information about the army.”