“This is a matter of my conscience as a human being.” A court in Crimea fined journalist and human rights activist Lutfiye Zudieva under the “foreign agents” law

The Dzhankoy District Court of Crimea found Graty journalist Lutfiye Zudieva and human rights activist guilty of violating the Russian administrative legislation on “foreign agents”: allegedly, she intended to engage in activities as a “foreign agent”, but failed to notify the authorities in order to be registered as one. She was fined 30,000 Russian rubles almost 15,000 hryvnia/ $360 . The journalist plans to appeal the resolution. The case was heard by Judge Elena Nikolaeva. 

Graty reports on how the hearing went. 

“You don’t need to be under foreign influence to see these processes around you”

On August 27, the Crimean office of the Russian Ministry of Justice drew up an administrative offence  against Lutfiye Zudieva about her alleged “foreign agent” activities while not being listed in the “foreign agents” registry part 1 of Article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation . 

By such activities, which the protocol refers to as “political,” the ministry means her journalistic work for the publication Graty, as well as her work as a human rights defender, in particular, her columns and interviews with international media and human rights organizations about human rights violations committed by Russia in Crimea. 

Russian Ministry of Justice intends to fine journalist and human rights defender Lutfiye Zudieva in Crimea for not denouncing herself as a “foreign agent”

The Russian-controlled Dzhankoy District Court of Crimea considered this protocol on September 15 and gave the defendant the opportunity to give her explanations regarding the information contained therein, and ultimately found her guilty, imposing a fine of 30,000 rubles. 

In her speech during the hearing, Lutfiye Zudieva pointed out that she considers the aforementioned administrative proceedings to be a continuation of the years of pressure on her due to her public and journalistic activities in Crimea. She believes that the purpose of such pressure is to silence the voices reporting on human rights violations on the peninsula. However, she does not intend to stop her human rights work. 

“This is not just a matter of personal responsibility, it is a matter of my conscience as a human being because I cannot stand by and watch as children are being deprived of their parents after the numerous searches that have been taking place in Crimea all this time, as elderly parents are left without care, and women are left without their husbands,” Zudieva said.

According to the journalist, these actions are often accompanied by grave violations on the part of law enforcement agencies. Also, there are signs of abuse during the investigation and trial of such cases. 

«For example, during the searches, [prohibited] literature is being planted inside people’s homes, audio recordings are being fabricated, electric shock torture is being used for interrogation purposes. I have already spoken to dozens of people, who have been through basements, where such actions were used against them. I am convinced that it is my right to speak publicly about this. Therefore, I believe that my actions did not constitute an administrative offence. And I did not apply to the Ministry of Justice to be listed as a “foreign agent” because I do not need to be under anyone’s foreign influence to see all these processes around me, to feel responsible, and at least talk about it,» she emphasized. 

Journalist challenges “foreign agent” status in appeal 

The Russian Ministry of Justice added Lutfiye Zudieva to the “foreign agents” registry on May 16, 2025. Their decision was based on reports by Roskomnadzor (Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Media, a federal executive body of Russia under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Communications of Russia) and the Crimean departments of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB in 2024 and 2025. The journalist is now challenging her alleged “foreign agent” status in court.

According to the ministry, Zudieva was “disseminating messages and materials intended for an unlimited circle of persons and participating in their creation, as well as engaging in political activity, namely disseminating opinions about decisions made by public authorities and the policies they pursue.” In fact, this refers to her posts on social media, Zudiyeva’s articles and reports for Graty about politically motivated persecution and other human rights violations in Crimea, as well as the interviews that the human rights activist gave to the media and Ukrainian, as well as international journalistic organizations, particularly, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, and the Women in Media community. 

At the same time, the ministry’s conclusions do not contain any information about Lutfiye Zudieva receiving funding from any of these sources.

On August 11, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow refused to remove Zudieva from the “foreign agents” registry and to recognize this status as illegal. The journalist has filed an appeal and is awaiting its consideration.

A Moscow court has upheld the “foreign agent” status for the Crimean journalist and human rights activist Lutfiye Zudieva

In her appeal, the journalist disputes having acted in the interests of any state, and objects to her journalistic activities being labelled as “political,” noting that this is a matter of the fundamental right to freedom of thought and expression, which is guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 19) and, in particular, by the Russian Constitution (Article 29).

Russian pressure on the journalist goes on for years

Lutfiye Zudieva lives in Crimea and has been covering repression and human rights violations in the peninsula since 2016. Particularly, she reported on politically motivated cases in Crimea against Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians, the conditions of detention of political prisoners, the illegal transfer of convicts outside the peninsula, and torture in Russian colonies. 

Russian special forces conduct searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea, Bakhchisaray, September 2023. Photo: Crimean Solidarity

She joined the Graty team in July 2021, and is interning in the field of court journalism. In 2024, she won the Ukrainian “Honor of the Profession” award for her podcast “Defender. Imayeci” about the forcible disappearance of Iryna Danilovich, and was shortlisted for the international Free Press Award in the “Resilience in Journalism” category.

She herself has also been persecuted on numerous occasions.

In the summer of 2023, Zudieva was detained when she came to the Supreme Court of Crimea to cover the trial of Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis Nariman Dzhelial and the brothers Aziz and Asan Akhtemov, who were accused of sabotage. At that time, the Kyiv District Court of Simferopol had her fined, charging of alleged participation in an unauthorized mass event, even though she was doing her job as a journalist.

At the end of February 2024, Zudieva was detained by police after a search of her home in Dzhankoy. Two administrative reports were drawn up against the journalist for posts on her personal Facebook page. In those posts, she mentioned Radio Liberty and did not indicate the media outlet being labelled a “foreign agent” in Russia.  In April, the Kyivsky District Court of Simferopol fined the journalist 2,500 rubles (about 1,060 hryvnia/$30) for “abuse of freedom of mass information.” The journalist appealed the decision and won the case in cassation.

Later, the Simferopol Magistrate’s Court fined Zudieva 2,000 rubles (about 800 hryvnia/$25) for a post on her personal Facebook page about the court hearing in the case of the “Belogorsk group” Hizb ut-Tahrir without mentioning that the Islamic party is banned in Russia.

In May 2024, law enforcement officials issued a warning to Zudiyeva against committing illegal acts in the near future.

Ukrainian and international human rights organizations have spoken out in defence of Lutfiye Zudieva and demanded an end to her persecution. UN special rapporteurs recommended that the Russian government take measures to stop violations against Crimean human rights defenders and lawyers, including Zudieva. Russia did not respond to their statements.

Since 2019, the status of “foreign agent” in the Russian Federation has been approved for individuals, who cooperate with media outlets, previously recognised as “foreign agents” or receiving funding from abroad. Since 2022, the status was extended to those “under foreign influence”. “Foreign agents” are prohibited from holding positions in government bodies, running for elections, conducting educational activities among minors, and working in state education institutions. “Foreign agents” are also deprived of the opportunity to receive financial state support and are prohibited from using the simplified taxation system.