Russian Correspondent Emerges in Paris Following Brutal Travel Saga

Breaking News: Exiled Russian Journalist Renews Crusade Against Censorship

In a dramatic turn of events, outspoken war critic, Ekaterina Barabash, resurfaced in Paris on Monday, having managed to escape Russia's clutches after being slapped with a 10-year prison sentence. The courageous journalist, now 63, was assisted by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in her daring getaway, a perilous operation that had the organization on edge throughout.

"Her escape was one of the most harrowing cases RSF has handled since Russia's draconian laws of March 2022," RSF director-general Thibaut Bruttin stated at a press conference with Barabash at the organization's headquarters in Paris. "At one point, we thought she might not make it."

Barabash, a native of Kharkiv, Ukraine, vehemently condemned the suffocating conditions in Russia. "There is no culture in Russia... There is no politics... It's only war," she declared, asserting that those who refuse to submit to state censorship either live in exile or end up behind bars.

The journalistic stalwart found herself in legal jeopardy due to Facebook posts she penned between 2022 and 2023, criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine. Russian authorities arrested her upon her return from the Berlinale film festival in February, charging her with spreading "fake news" about the country's military and branding her a "foreign agent."

Barabash was subjected to house arrest before making her daring escape on April 21, crossing numerous borders using covert channels coordinated by RSF. She spent two weeks in hiding before successfully crossing the border on her birthday, April 26. The hardest part, she said, was the heart-wrenching realization that she might never see her 96-year-old mother again.

Despite her traumatic ordeal, Barabash's spirits remained undeterred, even singing George Brassens during her escape. Upon reaching Paris, she professed her gratitude to the "many people" and the RSF team who helped her gain her freedom.

As she looks to start anew, Barabash aspires to seek asylum, resume her work with exiled Russian-language media, and become a voice for truth and freedom in the face of Russia's ever-tightening grip on press freedom. Although she does not yet have a French work permit, RSF reports that she holds a six-month visa and is in the process of regularizing her status.

Barabash's harrowing tale underscores the plight of Russia's dwindling community of journalists, with more than 90 media outlets having fled to the EU and neighboring countries since the war began[1]. Russia ranks a dismal 171st out of 180 countries in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index, earning a "'Very Serious' category" rating due to systemic suppression, widespread censorship, and judicial harassment[2]. Still, as Barabash testifies, "free voices that dare to speak the truth about the war in Ukraine cannot be silenced."

[1] "At Least 38 Journalists Remain Imprisoned in Russia, Independent Reporting Functionally Extinct" - NPR, April 30, 2023[2] "Russia 2025 World Press Freedom Index" - Reporters Without Borders[3] "Russia's Crackdown on journalists: A Crisis for Media Freedom and Democratic Norms" - Council on Foreign Relations[4] "Russian Journalists Fleeing Since the Ukraine War" - The Conversation[5] "Russia's Sliding Press Freedom" - World Press Freedom Committee

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Ekaterina Barabash, the outspoken exiled Russian journalist who faced a 10-year prison sentence for her critical remarks in general-news and politics, was assisted by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) as she disappeared from Russia and reappeared in Paris.
In her statement at the RSF headquarters, Barabash, who was subjected to house arrest and managed to escape using covert channels coordinated by RSF, denounced Russia's suffocating conditions and the suppression of freedoms, stating that those who refuse censorship either live in exile or end up behind bars.
The Russian government's actions against Barabash, who faced legal jeopardy for her Facebook posts that criticized Russia's actions in war-and-conflicts like Ukraine, are significant in the context of Russia's low rank (171 out of 180 countries) in the RSF World Press Freedom Index in 2025.
Despite being released from Russia's grip, Barabash has expressed her desire to seek asylum, resume her work with exiled Russian-language media, and become a voice for truth and freedom, underscoring the ongoing struggle against censorship in Russia.