Journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova was charged with justifying terrorism due to posts on her Telegram channel, lawyer Kaloy Akhilgov said.
Today they came to the journalist’s apartment in Moscow with a search (Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code), after which she was taken to the Investigative Committee.
According to Akhilgov, Kevorkova is accused of publishing a 2018 publication with a reprinted text by journalist Orkhan Dzhemal “for the death of Anzor Astemirov.” This text was written in 2010 and mentions the 2005 attack on Nalchik.
“Many of my colleagues, and I myself, wrote after the Nalchik uprising that young Muslims were simply provoked, methodically trying to get them to move from words to action. The most amazing thing is that after the rebellion, the degree of repression against local Muslims decreased significantly, but this could not change anything, Jihad in the republic began, the same Jihad that will last until the Day of Judgment and which neither the injustice of the tyrant nor the righteousness of the just can stop,” — Dzhemal wrote.
Kevorkova reprinted this text in September 2018, a month after murder of Orkhan Dzhemal in the Central African Republic. As the lawyer notes, he was a close friend of Kevorkova. The second episode in the case, adds Akhilgov, is connected with a post about the Taliban and was written in 2021.
In a conversation with RIA Novosti, Akhilgov emphasized that Kevorkova does not admit guilt to the charges.
On the morning of May 6, REN TV and Izvestia published a video of investigative actions in Kevorkina’s apartment. Two posters were visible on the recording — with the words “Better rally” and “Forget it in Google: affairs”Hizb ut-Tahrir". They are not terrorists. Freedom for political prisoners.»
The posts said that Kevorkova “has recently been writing notes on religious topics on social networks, widely covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict; in 2024, she published a book about the Palestinian people with criticism of Israel’s actions.”
Later, citing unnamed sources, they wrote that the reason for the search was the journalist’s posts “justifying the attack of Basayev’s gang on Nalchik in 2005 and the activities of the Taliban movement.» The publication's interlocutor claimed that Kevorkova “maintains friendly communication with people involved in terrorist activities and financing ISIS.”
Kevorkova worked as a correspondent in the countries of the Middle East, including Syria, Iran, Iraq and the Gaza Strip; she wrote for Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Russia Today, Novaya Gazeta and other publications, and was nominated for the International Women of Courage award in 2010.
The journalist also wrote the books “Palestine. Resistance», «Palestine. If I have to die» and «If I forget you, Jerusalem.» Kevorkova is the mother of journalist Vasily Polonsky.