Russian Journalist Arrested For Extortion

ROSTOV-NA-DONU, Russia — Police in the southern Russia city of Rostov-na-Donu have arrested an editor at a local newspaper for alleged extortion of government officials, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reports.

Investigators say “Yuzhny Federalny” Deputy Chief Editor Margarita Yefremova telephoned the head of the local Morozov district and offered not to publish an article she had written about his alleged “illegal and corrupt activities” as well as that of the local police chief if they paid her 500,000 rubles ($17,500).

The officials agreed to the deal, but informed local police about it. Yefremova was reportedly caught accepting part of the agreed amount from the deputy governor of the Morozov district.

Yefremova’s colleagues say she must have been framed as she has been writing about corruption within the local police department and within government for a long time.

They say “Yuzhny Federalny” published yet another corruption article by Yefremova in today’s issue.

Read more in Russian here

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