Elena Pivovarova

A resident of Bataysk (Rostov Region). Since 2005, she headed the newspaper Vpered, where she worked for 23 years. She was dismissed in November 2020, the decision was made by the Property Management Committee of the Bataysk administration. Independent journalists and activists attribute this to her active civic position and editorial policy. The publication "7×7" notes that the authorities, in particular, were outraged by one of the last headlines in the newspaper before her dismissal: "Bataysk in the Leaders in Coronavirus Infection in the Region".

A month after her dismissal, Pivovarova filed a lawsuit to be reinstated. In February 2021, a search was conducted at her home as part of an embezzlement case, accusing her of inflating circulation numbers. During the investigation, she fell ill and was hospitalized with a suspected stroke. In March 2021, the court rejected her complaint about the dismissal. Until the verdict, Pivovarova was under recognisance not to leave.

Pivovarova claimed that she distributed a small portion of the print run for free as advertising to potential subscribers. "Kavkazsky Uzel," citing her lawyer, reported that the initial investigation accused her of embezzling about 400,000 rubles. Later, the damage amount was increased to 1.8 million rubles.

On July 11, 2024, Pivovarova was sentenced to four and a half years in a general regime penal colony on charges of embezzlement and fraud.