Iskander Siraziev (Siradzhi)

Siradzhi, owner of the Kazan-based independent newspaper Siradzhi süze, became the subject of a criminal investigation for the alleged disclosure of personal data. According to his lawyer, Taliia Chernova, he had been reporting on the case of Ibragim Zakiev, a local resident accused of murders committed twenty years earlier who was ultimately acquitted by a jury. Authorities accused Siradzhi of revealing information about two individuals who had testified against Zakiev. However, Chernova noted that his case is being handled by the same investigative department that oversaw Zakiev’s case. Siradzhi was detained on 9 October 2024. Chernova stated that he was placed under pressure, alleging that the investigator told him he would be released if he confessed. In response, Siradzhi went on hunger strike. He was later released on his own recognisance during the investigation. The journalist has since also been charged with obstruction of justice.