The homes of four editors and some of their relatives were searched, DOXA said in an official statement posted on their website.
According to DOXA, phones and laptops were seized during the searches and journalists Armen Aramyan, Alla Gutnikova, Vladimir Metelkin and Natalia Tyshkevich were taken by the Russian Commission of Inquiry for questioning. All four journalists have now been charged with inciting minors to protest, said DOXA, which also dismissed the charge.
“There was no call for illegal actions in our video – we said young people should not be afraid to speak up,” the DOXA statement said. Agora, the legal organization representing the four journalists, referred CNN to DOXA’s statement.
The inquiry commission did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
The four will be under strict communication restrictions until June 14, according to a statement from the Basmanny court in Moscow. According to DOXA, the restrictions include a ban on leaving their home, using the Internet, and communicating with anyone other than their lawyers and close relatives between midnight and 11:59 PM.
DOXA magazine started as a small online publication mainly run by students from the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. It has since grown and become independent.
The magazine said raids were linked to a video shot earlier this year in which the magazine’s editors explained to students that it was illegal for them to be expelled from college for participating in protests in support of Alexey Navalny.
The video was removed from the DOXA YouTube channel at the request of Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor in late January, just a few days after it was originally posted. The watchdog argued that the video encouraged participation in unauthorized protests – a claim DOXA disputes.
“The pressures facing the journalism community of late are unprecedented, but we will not stop our activities. We will continue to emphasize what is important to young people and advocate for their rights,” DOXA said in the statement.
A ‘new low point’ for press freedom
Amnesty International has called the raids “a new low point” for freedom of the press in Russia.
Russia has also vowed to take action against social media platforms that will not delete messages that the Kremlin considers illegal or that incite people to participate in “unauthorized protests”.
Last Friday, the independent Russian investigative medium IStories said Russian intelligence agency FSB raided its offices, as well as the home of investigative journalist Roman Anin, the editor of IStories.
Anin’s lawyer Anna Stavitsakaya said the raids, brief detention and interrogation of Anin were carried out in connection with an Anin story published in 2016. Anin is known for denouncing corruption in Russia.
The European Union expressed concern over the Anin incident in a statement released Sunday. “We call on the Russian authorities to respect their international and domestic obligations. Media freedom must be respected. The EU will continue to monitor the issue closely,” the statement said.