Sergei Smirnov, editor-in-chief of the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona, said he is leaving Lithuania for France, citing what he described as a worsening climate for Russian opposition figures following an unsuccessful attempt to revoke the residence permit of opposition activist Leonid Volkov.
Smirnov announced his decision in comments reported on the social media platform X by the independent Russian outlet SOTA.
“I think the situation in Lithuania will become increasingly difficult, also because of its proximity to Russia,” Smirnov said. “I want to draw attention to Lithuanian politicians’ comments regarding Leonid Volkov. They all unanimously said everything was very bad and that his residence permit should be revoked. In the end, the authorities refused to do so, but the overall atmosphere is one of pressure and suspicion.”
Smirnov did not say when he plans to relocate.
His announcement comes about a month after he said Mediazona had lost donations from Russia worth about 10 million rubles (about 108,000 euros) a year, forcing the outlet to rethink its finances.
