Former Kazan journalist and TV presenter Farida Kurbangaleyeva (Фәридә Рәшит кызы Корбангалиева / Фэридэ Рэшит кызы Корбангалиева) has been added to the Russian government’s list of terrorists and extremists on unspecified charges. Kurbangaleyeva, now based in Prague, Czech Republic, announced on social media that she was was included in the Rosfinmonitoring (Федеральная служба по финансовому мониторингу Российской Федерации – Росфинмониторинг ) register of terrorists and extremist on 19 June 2024. On 20 June 2024, she was put on the wanted list by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs under Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.
In a Facebook post, Kurbangaleyeva mentioned that she had been listed without any explanation, although she believed it was due to her open criticism of Russia’s actions in Ukraine, including the criminal war, subjugation of people, destruction of identities, and suppression of dissent. She emphasized that this status would not deter her from continuing her work and speaking out against these actions.
You can see the link to her Facebook post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/C8KRMVgJYoXmafbf/?mibextid=WC7FNe
Kurbangaleyeva, born 27 August 1979 in Kazan (Казань), Tatarstan, Russia, began her career on regional television in Tatarstan before moving to Moscow, Russia, in 2007. She became a well-known presenter on the “Вести” (News) program on the “Russia 1” channel (https://smotrim.ru/live/63251).
Following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Kurbangaleyeva left “Russia 1” and relocated to the Czech Republic with her family. From 2018 to 2021, she worked with the “Current Time” channel (https://www.currenttime.tv/p/6018.html). Currently, she runs a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@farida38173) where she interviews various personalities.
Despite allegedly being under surveillance by Russian authorities, Kurbangaleyeva remains committed to her mission. She continues to highlight the oppressive actions of the Russian government, ensuring that her voice and the voices of those she interviews are heard.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) stands in solidarity with Farida Kurbangaleyeva, condemning her unjust listing and calling for her protection against political persecution. Journalists must be free to report and express their views without fear of retribution.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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