
Russian journalist who escaped house arrest in Moscow arrives in Paris
Article content
'Her escape was one of the most perilous operations RSF has been involved in since Russia's draconian laws of March 2022,' said the group's director, Thibaut Bruttin, during a press conference with Barabash at RSF's Paris headquarters. 'At one point, we thought she might be dead.'
Days after invading Ukraine in February 2022, the Russian authorities adopted legislation that outlawed any public expression about the war that went against the official government narrative.
Barabash, 63, condemned on Monday the lack of freedoms in Russia while detailing her escape.
'There is no culture in Russia… there is no politics… It's only war,' she said, decrying state censorship.
Barabash said the very concept of a 'Russian journalist' no longer made sense. 'Journalism cannot exist under totalitarianism.'
The Facebook posts that landed her in legal jeopardy were written between 2022 and 2023, lambasting Russia's actions in Ukraine.
'So you (expletive) bombed the country, razed entire cities to the ground, killed a hundred children, shot civilians for no reason, blockaded Mariupol, deprived millions of people of a normal life and forced them to leave for foreign countries? All for the sake of friendship with Ukraine?' one post read.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Vultures' preying on evacuees, Métis leader says
The Manitoba Métis Federation has warned evacuees about a scam that asks for their personal information. It's related to a fake social media post that claims to be from Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand. Chartrand said the federation has been forced to send out thousands of messages explaining that the post isn't from him. It uses a photograph of him that's been copied from the MMF website, to make it look legitimate. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES A scam targeting wildfire evacuees ripped off an image of Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand. 'This has really upset us,' he said on Wednesday. 'Now these vultures are coming out and they are entering this world of hardship and disaster to take advantage of people.' More than 21,000 Manitobans have been evacuated from wildfire hot spots across the province. Scammers are taking advantage of the circumstances to try to victimize people at their most vulnerable time, whether it's through social media, emails or text messages. Numerous evacuees, even ones who were sent as far away as Niagara Falls, Ont., because of the shortage of hotel rooms here, were posting images of the text messages they had received from scammers who claimed to be from the Canadian Red Cross. They were asked to provide banking information so they could get financial help. Red Cross spokeswoman Heather Hogan said the organization would never ask for personal information via text. During registration, evacuees weren't asked to give their social insurance number, bank account information, a credit card number, or even pay money in return for assistance. 'Unfortunately, there are some people who may try to take advantage of those impacted by a disaster through fraudulent tactics,' Hogan said. 'The Canadian Red Cross communicates only via email, phone, or in person and would never send a link through a text message. 'The Red Cross wants everyone to be cautious of unsolicited requests for payment and confirm any details through official channels.' Hogan encouraged anyone who has been scammed to contact local police. Another scam, reported by the CBC, said a fake website claimed a clothing warehouse in Flin Flon had been destroyed by wildfire. It asked donors to buy the remaining stock by sending money to the owner, a single mother. No such warehouse exists. On Wednesday, both the website and its Facebook account had been deleted. Terry Dojcak, 67, one of thousands of displaced Flin Flon residents, said he has already received several scam emails on his phone, asking for banking and personal information, which he immediately deleted without responding. Dojcak said it was 'disgusting' that people are trying to take advantage of evacuees. '(They should be) hung out to dry somewhere,' he said. A spokesman for the RCMP said no one has reported being scammed. Chartrand said despite the federation's attempts to expose the social media scam using his photo, he is still worried people could fall victim to a fraudster. 'A lot of people could be hurt financially and it could cause hurt to our government and our people,' he said. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. 'I'm very worried some elders may get scammed. The Red Cross is so far behind — there's some 21,000 people — and they are doing direct deposit. That's what the scammers are seeking.' Stephanie Meilleur, director of the federation's community resource department, called the scammers 'despicable.' 'It is horrendous that they have targeted some vulnerable senors and elders,' Meilleur said. 'These people are in dire need of these supports and the scammers are trying to trick people.' — with files from Massimo De Luca-Taronno Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

5 hours ago
No banned firearms have been sent to Ukraine, despite government promise
The federal government has not yet made good on its commitment to send banned guns collected through the federal buyback program to Ukraine. So far, no firearms have been donated to the war effort, despite a pledge made by the Trudeau government in December. One day before the 35th anniversary of the Polytechnique massacre (new window) , hundreds of models were added to the federal government's list of banned firearms. Federal ministers at the same time made a commitment to donate a portion of the firearms collected through the government's first phase of its firearm buyback program to Ukraine, in a bid to support its fight against the Russian invasion. The announcement was made by then defence minister Bill Blair. He was joined by former public services minister Jean-Yves Duclos and former public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc. Of the three, only LeBlanc remains in cabinet. Some experts expressed concerns about this plan (new window) , warning it seemed haphazard and intended to generate support for the Trudeau government's controversial gun policies. (new window) WATCH | From December 2024: Critics weigh in on buyback changes: Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? Late additions to gun buyback program will balloon costs, critics say The federal government has made last-minute additions of gun parts to its assault-weapon buyback program such as magazines, bolts, and grips. Critics say adding the wide range of components will only add to the program's ballooning cost. More than six months later, that hasn't happened. A statement from Public Safety Canada says more than 12,000 guns have been bought back from businesses in the first phase of the program, but said it is still working to identify which, if any, will go to Ukraine. The Government of Canada continues to work with businesses to identify prohibited firearms in their inventory of NATO calibre that could be donated to Ukraine, said Max Watson, a spokesperson for Public Safety Canada, in a statement. In December, Blair said the government had been working with Ukraine since October to see whether any of the banned firearms could be used in the war. Every bit of assistance we can offer to the Ukrainians is one step towards their victory and a worthwhile investment of our collective time and efforts, he said at the time. Days after the announcement, the department confirmed that 23 makes and models of assault-style firearms were identified to be sent to Ukraine by the country's Defence Ministry. I'm not sure anyone, at any point, believed that the Canadian government was going to pay to confiscate sporting rifles from civilians and send them to a war zone in Eastern Europe, said Rod Giltaca, the CEO of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, in a statement. In reality, after over five years, they haven't managed to roll out their buyback in the first place. Buyback delayed for years The Trudeau government had sought to implement its buyback program for certain assault-style firearms since they were banned by the federal government in May 2020. Ottawa initially banned the sale of some 1,500 guns, later expanding the list to more than 2,000 makes and models. Although the program has been marred by delays, the government began the first phase of the buyback — which includes buying the remaining stock of prohibited firearms from eligible businesses — in November 2024. It compensates businesses for the value of the gun, then destroys it — except for the firearms that have been designated to be sent to Ukraine. A buyback program for individuals who legally owned the now-prohibited guns is set to begin later this year. (new window) While campaigning for election, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to "reinvigorate the implementation of an efficient gun-buyback program for assault-style firearms." (new window) The buyback plan has the support of the gun control movement but faces stiff opposition from hunters and shooters, who say it unfairly targets lawful gun owners. Giltaca says firearm owners are waiting to see whether Carney's gun policies differ from the Trudeau government. I'm sure there are many that are hoping that the next four years will bear little resemblance to the last 10.… Licensed gun owners would enjoy a reprieve from being blamed for the Liberals' failures on public safety, he said. Kate McKenna (new window) · CBC News


Toronto Star
5 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Serbia's Moscow-friendly president visits Ukraine but refuses to sign ‘anti-Russian' declaration
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's Russia-friendly leader made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Wednesday for a summit on strengthening European support for Kyiv's fight against Russian aggression, but he refused to sign a joint declaration calling for tougher sanctions against Moscow. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's Russia-friendly leader made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Wednesday for a summit on strengthening European support for Kyiv's fight against Russian aggression, but he refused to sign a joint declaration calling for tougher sanctions against Moscow. It was President Aleksandar Vucic's first visit to Ukraine since taking office over a decade ago. He attended the summit between Ukraine and 12 Southeast European states in Odesa. More from The Star & partners