A 65-year-old journalist was arrested in Chita on charges of treason

Authorities in Chita have taken a 65-year-old journalist into custody on charges of treason. The man, born in 1960, previously worked as a freelance correspondent for Radio Free Europe, according to the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Local media first reported the arrest on 1 April. The journalist, identified as Alexander A., contributed to the opposition outlet Kasparov.ru and authored material for MBK Media, including coverage of a protest by Yakut shaman Alexander Gabyshev. In 2014, he served as chair of the regional branch of the political party Western Choice in Zabaykalsky Krai, a party founded by Valeriya Novodvorskaya and Konstantin Borovoy. Observers have suggested that the individual in question is Alexander Andreev.

The FSB alleges that Alexander Andreev joined a Telegram community reportedly controlled by Ukrainian security services and transmitted information to an ‘enemy’ concerning a local print media outlet covering the so-called ‘Special Military Operation’. He is also accused of assisting Ukrainian intelligence in a cyberattack on a critical infrastructure site in the region.

In an FSB-released video, a chat titled ‘Що відбувається?’ (‘What is happening?’) is shown. The conversation is largely conducted in Ukrainian, though the user allegedly identified as Alexander Andreev wrote in Russian, sending greetings from ‘Eastern Siberia’ and expressing support for Ukraine.