On Friday, Irina Slavina, editor of KozaPress, died in Nizhny Novgorod, after setting herself on fire outside an interior minister building in the city. In her last Facebook post, Slavina wrote: “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death.”
Slavina’s death has shocked many, with several groups calling for a criminal investigation into the actions of Russian law enforcment that may have contributed to her death. On 1 October, Slavina’s home was searched as part of an investigation into the Open Russia movement - local law enforcement broke down the door to her apartment and confiscated all her computer equipment. She is survived by her husband and daughter.
Slavina’s website KozaPress covered a range of local issues - from public utilities and pensions to property development and the security services - and by 2019 was the second most-cited media in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
