Russia: Union expresses concern over treason charge arrests
Russian security forces arrested former journalist and current adviser of the head of the Russian space agency Ivan Safronov on 7 July on charges of “treason” for allegedly sharing military secrets. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) join their affiliate, the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), in expressing grave concerns over his arrest and the detention of journalists who protested against it. Ivan Safronov was one of the most prominent and respected journalists reporting on defence issues in Russia. He worked until May 2020 for two major Russian newspapers before becoming an adviser for the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Safronov is now accused…