Nizfa Arshba*'s fine for failing to fulfill foreign agent duties surprised Telegram users.
The court in North Ossetia fined the citizen of Abkhazia, Nizfa Arshba*, for posting on social media without marking it as a foreign agent. The journalist noted that she had never lived in Russia and had never held Russian citizenship; Telegram users shared her bewilderment.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on March 7, 2025, the Russian Ministry of Justice added the Abkhaz journalist and political scientist, editor-in-chief of "Chghem Truth", Inal Khashig, to the foreign agents register. The agency stated that Khashig "spread false information about the decisions made by the public authorities of the Russian Federation and the policies they conduct, as well as about the electoral system", and also "interacted with foreign political figures". Two weeks later, on March 21, 2025, two Abkhaz journalists - editor-in-chief of "Nuzhnaya Gazeta" Izida Chania* and editor-in-chief of the agency "Aiasara" Nizfa Arshba* - were included in the Russian foreign agents register with similar wording.
The Union of Journalists of Abkhazia criticized the decision of the Russian Ministry of Justice on March 11, 2025, and called for the protection of the editor-in-chief of "Chghem Truth". Khashig himself then stated that he intended to challenge the status. On June 19, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Justice excluded Inal Khashig from the foreign agents register.
The court in Vladikavkaz fined Abkhaz journalist Nizfa Arshba* 30,000 rubles for a Facebook** post made without marking it as a foreign agent, JAMnews reports today.
Nizfa Arshba reported in the Telegram channel of the agency "Aiasara" that she learned about the court's decision post factum and "completely by chance".
"While browsing various information on the internet, I accidentally stumbled upon a message that the judge of the Industrial District Court of Vladikavkaz, Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Arbiev I.R., made some decision regarding me. Of course, I was interested in the details of the case and went to the court's website. It turned out that the material regarding me was sent to court on August 5, 2026. The case of the administrative offense was considered on August 31, 2026. And already on September 1, 2026, copies of the court's ruling (determination) were sent," she wrote.
The dates provided by Nizfa Arshba correspond to the information in the case card on the website of the Industrial District Court of Vladikavkaz. The card is attached with the text of the ruling, according to which the journalist was found guilty under part 4 of article 19.34 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation ("Violation of the procedure for the activities of a foreign agent"). According to the court, Arshba "spread her material without indicating that this material was produced, distributed, and (or) sent by a foreign agent or relates to the activities of such an agent". The case was initiated by the Roskomnadzor office in North Ossetia. "To recognize the citizen of the Republic of Abkhazia, FIO5, born DD.MM.YYYY, guilty of committing an administrative offense provided for by part 4 of article 19.34 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation and to impose a penalty in the form of an administrative fine of 30,000 (thirty thousand) rubles," says the published copy of the decision by judge Irina Arbiev.
The court's decision states that Arshba did not appear at the court hearing, although she was "notified of the time and place of the protocol on the administrative offense and the time and place of the case consideration by mail to the last known place of residence in the Russian Federation," the journalist noted.
I did not take on any obligations to comply with the laws of any foreign state
"I would like to know how and by whom my place of residence in Vladikavkaz was assigned to me, if I have never lived in Russia, have never received Russian citizenship, and have not taken on any obligations to comply with the laws of any foreign state. With the same success, the Ministry of Justice of Russia can send notifications to Vladikavkaz 'at the place of residence' [to Chancellor of Germany Friedrich] Merz or [to King of Denmark] Frederik X, or someone else in the world. However, for the people who concocted this whole case regarding foreign agents, both in Abkhazia and in Russia, I am sure it is not at all important to comply with at least elementary norms of behavior, not to mention the legality of the claims made, when the instructions come from the very top. Well, what can I say? Except: thank you to the foreign master for such close attention to the citizen of Abkhazia," Arshba wrote.
As of 18:55 Moscow time on October 5, under Arshba's post made on October 1, there are three comments. Their authors unanimously criticized the decision of the Russian court.
It's some kind of absurdity
"If a person does not reside in this republic and has not been there, can she be judged?" - asked, in particular, Diana.
"It's some kind of absurdity," Inga succinctly stated. "It would all be funny if it weren't so sad," wrote Tatyana.
Recall that in July 2025 it became known that the head of the administration of the President of Abkhazia sent a repeated request to the Ministry of Justice of Russia regarding the grounds for recognizing three Abkhaz journalists as foreign agents.
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* included by the Ministry of Justice of Russia in the register of foreign agents.
** the activities of the company Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.