Russian journalist, founder, and former editor-in-chief of Proekt, a media outlet that specialized in complex investigations, stories, portraits, and open data research. Over the years, he headed the website of Forbes Russia as editor-in-chief, RBC news agency, and TV Rain channel as editor-in-chief. From 2001 to 2011 he worked as deputy editor-in-chief of the newspaper Gazeta.ru. Since autumn 2013, he has been the executive director of the Internet projects service of the Interfax agency. He worked at the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Research («Gorbachev-Fund») and was engaged in research activities.

In July 2021, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Russia declared the legal entity of the Proekt publication to be an «undesirable organization, ” and Roman Badanin, along with other journalists, was included in the register of „foreign agents“.

Name
Badanin Roman Sergeevich
Field of activity
Media
Status
«Foreign agent» (individual media)
Reason for recognition
Connection with the foreign organization, listed as undesirable within the Russian territory.
Year of recognition
2021
Status description
Since 2019, this register includes those individuals who, in the opinion of the Russian government: a) publicly disseminate messages and materials created by a media-foreign agent, or participate in the creation of such materials, b) receive foreign funding (money or property). A person may be declared «foreign agent» if he/she reposts materials from a foreign media outlet, writes materials for it, publishes joint materials (for example, journalistic investigations), provides some data, prepares drawings, participates in the creation of a video or even gives comments as an expert, and at the same time has any income from a foreign source. Who recognizes: Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Responsibilities and Limitations: An individual who is recognized as a foreign agent media is obliged to send to the Ministry of Justice a report on the expenditure of funds, including those received from foreign sources, and every six months publicly post a report on his activities on the Internet or provide to Russian media for publication. In addition, individuals included in this register must register a legal entity in Russia that receives the status of an NPO-foreign agent. The report on the activities of this NPO also needs to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice. Administrative liability: Violation of the order of activity after being recognized a foreign agent — a fine of 10 thousand rubles. A gross violation is threatened with a fine of five million rubles. (Article 19.34.1. of the Code of Administrative Offences) Criminal liability: If an individual-media-foreign agent does not fulfill the obligations required by law and has previously been held administratively liable because of this, a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles or imprisonment for up to two years (part 2 of article 330.1 of the Criminal Code).