12/04/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Sunday 11 April the spokesperson for the European External Action Service expressed concern about the raid on 9 April of the headquarters of the independent investigative media iStories and the brief detention and interrogation of its editor Roman Anin, who has conducted numerous journalistic investigations into organised crime and corruption in Russia. “It is the duty of media to report on issues of public interest. State authorities should ensure that journalists are able to carry out their legitimate work and not hinder or intimidate them”, the spokesperson said in a statement. He said that in recent years the situation of media freedom in Russia has worsened and the space for independent journalism and civil society is shrinking. He called on the Russian authorities to uphold their international and national obligations, adding that freedom of the media should be respected. (CG)