Lutfiye Zudiyeva: First Crimean Journalist Registered as Russian Foreign Agent

Lutfiye Zudiyeva. Oleksandra Yefimenko

Lutfiye Zudiyeva became the first journalist in Crimea to be included in Russia’s foreign agents registry. On May 16, 2025, the Russian Ministry of Justice announced her name under number 984. She learned of this not from an official notice, but from acquaintances who sent links to supportive news. The ‘foreign agent’ status means not only administrative restrictions but also the risk of criminal liability and additional social stigma.

For almost ten years, Zudiyeva has been covering political persecutions in the occupied Crimea and helping the families of political prisoners. In 2015 in Dzhankoy she opened the Elif Children’s Development Center, but three months later prosecutors and the FSB arrived for inspections. The journalist believes this was not so much about the center’s activities but about her civic activism and her stance toward the Crimean Tatars and Muslims. She then decided to suspend her teaching activities.

Persecutions did not stop: in 2019, Lutfiye Zudiyeva was detained for a post on social media; in 2023 – near the building of the Supreme Court of Crimea in Simferopol; in 2024 – after a search at home, when two administrative protocols were drawn up against her at once. She was repeatedly fined and warned about the illegality of protests. In March and June 2024, courts ruled for administrative liability.

“I learned about this not from official structures, but from dozens of messages and calls. When I picked up the phone, I saw a flood of links to the news about my inclusion in the registry. There were words of support, and offers to help with departure, and offers of legal assistance. I haven’t received such feedback in a long time. This time the wave of support was incredible, and I am grateful to people for their solidarity”

What the Foreign Agent Status Means for Her

Keeping records and labeling every publication has become a requirement: according to Zudiyeva, she must mark posts even those with a child’s photo or a landscape. Also, once every three months she needs to file reports on her activities.

“Now I have to label any content. Even photos with a child or a landscape. Otherwise I may be held accountable. Human rights defenders have told how others were punished even for an everyday photo without a ‘badge’. Besides, I cannot work in a school or university, although my profession is a teacher. This is a de facto restriction of my rights, even in the areas where I could return”

In Crimean Telegram channels, anonymous posts calling for persecution began to appear. Intimidation and hate became a new instrument of pressure. Despite this, the journalist continues to work and live her usual life: she attends parent-teacher meetings, meets with people, and goes to shops. She does not plan to leave Crimea, because this is her home and the land of her ancestors.

According to lawyers, the overall picture of repression against ‘foreign agents’ in Russia is a systemic mechanism: administrative offenses often escalate into criminal charges, and the law has become a tool to pressure journalists, human rights defenders, and public figures. In 2024 Russian courts considered more than 700 administrative cases against ‘foreign agents’, and in the first half of 2025 – more than 300, which indicates the scale of the repression.

On August 27, the occupation Ministry of Justice drew up an administrative protocol against Lutfiye Zudiyeva, accusing her of ‘foreign agent activity without filing a declaration.’ The journalist tried to appeal the decision and gain access to the case materials, but on August 11, the Zamoskvoretsky Court in Moscow left her in the registry. She emphasizes that it is important for her to record her position and preserve access to the case materials, even if the decision is unlikely to be overturned.

“I have no illusions that I will be removed from the list. But what was important for me was to show that I disagree. It was important to understand what this decision is based on. And when I saw the documents, it became clear: this is not a coincidence, but the result of a deliberate operation by the security services. They collected the materials, sent them to the Ministry of Justice, and the court simply echoed their position”

While the court case drags on, the journalist continues to work and stay in Crimea: she visits schools, talks with people, and goes to shops. She believes the light of truth can prevail even in such conditions, but the daily reality of labeling and potential fines makes life much more difficult.