The Moscow Nikulinsky District Court has ordered the in absentia arrest of Ilya Azar, a special correspondent for "Novaya Gazeta Europe." The journalist confirmed this development to the publication.
Court records show the detention hearing took place on May 23. Azar faces one month of in absentia detention under charges of managing an "undesirable organization" (Section 3, Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code), which carries a potential six-year prison sentence.
The ruling was issued by Judge Alexei Bobkov, who, as previously reported by "Novaya Gazeta Europe," has presided over more than 100 politically charged administrative cases—95 of which involved protest-related charges under Article 20.5 of the Administrative Code.
In mid-April, authorities conducted searches at the homes of relatives linked to former municipal deputies Ilya Azar, Sergey Vlasov, Igor Glek, and Elena Rusakova. A criminal case was initiated against them for allegedly organizing activities tied to the "undesirable" group "Deputies of Peaceful Russia."
According to the Moscow Investigative Committee, the four suspects published two online articles aimed at recruiting new members for the organization.
In August 2024, Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office designated "Deputies of Peaceful Russia" as an "undesirable" entity.
Earlier this year, in late February, the Russian Ministry of Justice added Ilya Azar to its list of "foreign agents."