Russia seeks Nevzorov’s arrest, accusing him of spreading false information about what Moscow describes as its “special military operation” in Ukraine
Ukraine granted citizenship to the distinguished Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov, who escaped from Russia with his wife, after denouncing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, said today a senior Ukrainian official.
Russia seeks the arrest of Nevzorov, accusing him of spreading false information about what Moscow presents as its “special military operation” in Ukraine. He and his wife fled Russia in March.
Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, said that the authorities in Kyiv had granted citizenship to Nevzorov and his wife Linda.
Nevzorov confirmed that he had obtained Ukrainian citizenship in a Telegram post, in which he said that the war in Russia is a crime whose victim is Ukraine.
“I am taking the victim’s side. “And I am grateful to those tortured, desperate, bloodthirsty people of Ukraine who allowed me to take my place among them,” he said.
Russia has launched an investigation into Nevzorov, whose YouTube channel has more than 1.8 million subscribers, after saying that Russian forces deliberately bombed a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
Russia has denied the bombing, saying it was a “directed provocation” by Ukraine.
The investigation began after Russia passed a law in March that provides for prison sentences of up to 15 years for deliberately spreading “false” news about the Russian military.
Last December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law simplifying the acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship for Russians persecuted for political reasons in their country.
