Russian Journalist Ekaterina Barabash Escapes House Arrest, Wanted by Police

Russian journalist and film critic Ekaterina Barabash, known for her outspoken criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has escaped house arrest and is now wanted by Russian authorities. Barabash, 63, was detained in February on charges of spreading 'false information' about the Russian military through social media posts, and was awaiting trial under house arrest when authorities lost track of her via an electronic monitoring system on April 13. Her case is part of a broader crackdown by the Kremlin since the start of the Ukraine war, with thousands of individuals facing prosecution for 'discrediting' the Russian armed forces or criticizing the invasion. Barabash has written for independent outlets such as Republic and Radio France Internationale, and her Facebook posts condemned Russia's military actions and the humanitarian toll of the conflict. Rights groups have compared the current repression to Soviet-era tactics, highlighting the use of restrictive laws to silence dissent. Fleeing house arrest is rare but not unprecedented, as seen in other recent high-profile cases of Russian war critics escaping prosecution.