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A Russian journalist died today after being immolated by the fire in front of the headquarters of the Russian Interior Ministry in the city of Nizhny Novgorod, the day after her house was searched by the police, local sources reported.
Before committing such action, the journalist, identified as Irina Slavina, posted on her personal page on the social network Facebook a message blaming the Russian authorities.
“I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death,” wrote Irina Slavina, 47, who was editor of the online daily Koza Press, an agency that was highly critical of the local government.
According to local media, and citing emergency services, the journalist died of serious burns.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who on Thursday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being responsible for his poisoning in August, reacted on Twitter, accusing authorities of inciting Irina Slavina to commit such an act.
According to Alexei Navalny, the Russian authorities fabricated a political case against the journalist, whose house had been searched on Thursday.
An opinion shared by Russian tycoon and opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who also accused the security forces of pressuring Irina Slavina in the context of an open case against the political movement financed by exiled opponents of Open Russia.
Irina Slavina was also an activist and was sued in 2019 for organizing an action in memory of Russian opponent Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated in 2015 in front of the Kremlin (seat of the Russian Presidency).
According to some Russian media, Irina Slavina was a member of a church founded in the United States, which some voices in Russia classify as a sect and whose Russian branch is related to Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Irina Slavina was a well-known journalist in Nizhny Novgorod, one of the main Russian cities, and her death triggered the reaction of several opponents and human rights activists, who link this case with the preparation of the Russian legislative elections in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Nizhny Novgorod authorities have announced the opening of a preliminary investigation into the case.
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