Crimea’s Journalist Lutfiye Zudiyeva Faces Administrative Charges for Alleged ‘Foreign Agent Activities’
In Crimea, new cases of administrative persecution of independent media representatives and human rights activists continue to emerge.
The latest high-profile case involves the well-known Crimean Tatar journalist and activist Lutfiye Zudiyeva, who has been subjected to an administrative protocol.
According to information published by her human rights organization, Women in Media, Zudiyeva was accused under Article 19.34 of the Russian Administrative Code, which bans activities similar to foreign agent work without proper registration.
Russian authorities claim that Zudiyeva allegedly engaged in political activities under foreign influence, publishing materials about human rights violations in Crimea and the situation of Crimean Tatar political prisoners.
Evidence cited includes her social media posts, publications in international media outlets like CNN, Newsweek, and Grits, as well as interviews with international organizations.
Investigators also state that Zudiyeva was added to the registry of ‘foreign agents’ as early as May 2025 by the Russian Ministry of Justice.
This requires her to label all her social media content as ’18+’ and include explanations about her ‘agent’ status, as well as submit quarterly reports about her activities to the Russian Justice Ministry.
Zudiyeva is currently appealing these decisions and considers them illegitimate.
She emphasizes that her publications always contain balanced viewpoints, including perspectives of victims of repression and the official position of Russian authorities.
She does not see her activity as unlawful and does not consider herself an ‘foreign agent.’ A court hearing may take place soon, and a fine of 15,000 to 30,000 rubles (approximately 6,000 to 12,000 hryvnias) is likely.
Notably, Lutfiye Zudiyeva is a Crimean Tatar journalist and the author of the popular portal Grits, who has remained in Crimea since 2014, despite the peninsula’s annexation by Russia.