Russian prosecutors on Friday branded the investigations website Bellingcat as “undesirable”, saying it posed a security “threat” to the country, Russian agencies reported.
The comments come as Russia orchestrates an unprecedented media and opposition crackdown since sending troops to Ukraine in February.
Bellingcat, which has produced reports on Moscow’s Ukraine offensive, had already been branded a “foreign agent” in Russia last year.
The General Prosecutor’s Office labelled it “undesirable” with another Latvia-based investigations website, The Insider, and a Czech institute, the Central and Eastern Europe Law Initiative (CEELI).
It told Russian agencies that they pose a “threat to the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation”.
Under the “undesirables” law, Russians who maintain ties with such organisations could face heavy fines or even jail terms of up to six years.
Bellingcat and The Insider — which often produce joint investigations — were included in a list of “foreign agents” last year.
Entities identified as foreign agents must disclose sources of funding and label publications with a tag or face fines.
The foreign agents label, which is reminiscent of the “enemy of the people” of the Soviet era, has in recent years been used extensively against opponents, journalists and human rights activists accused of conducting foreign-funded political activities in Russia.
