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I was playing Jenga with my young son in Dublin when I received a threat from Moscow
🇮🇪 Ireland /Conflict & Security

I was playing Jenga with my young son in Dublin when I received a threat from Moscow

From Irish Times · (9m ago) English Critical tone

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Journalist Jason Corcoran received a direct threat via Telegram in January 2023, warning him about his reporting on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
  • The anonymous message stated dissatisfaction with his reporting tone and suggested he was facing personal security problems, prompting him to take the warning seriously.
  • The incident occurred shortly after several of his critical articles were published and amid the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, highlighting a dangerous environment for foreign journalists in Russia.

As a journalist who has lived and worked in Russia for 14 years, the threat I received via Telegram in January 2023 was a stark reminder of the perilous environment for those reporting critically on the Kremlin.

Hi Jason, are you in Moscow at the moment?

— Anonymous Telegram accountThe initial message received by Jason Corcoran, which he suspected might be from a contact he was trying to reach for a story.

Receiving a message from an anonymous account, warning of "security problems of a personal kind" due to my reporting on the "special military operation," was chilling. It's impossible to definitively know who sent it – a state-sponsored troll or someone with a more direct grievance – but the implication was clear: my work had consequences.

We are genuinely dissatisfied with the tone of your reporting, Jason.

— Anonymous Telegram accountA subsequent message from the anonymous account, directly addressing Corcoran's journalistic work.

The timing, shortly after publishing several critical articles in UK, Irish, and US media, and in the shadow of Evan Gershkovich's arrest, underscored the escalating risks. His detention on espionage charges, widely seen as absurd, felt like a deliberate message to foreign correspondents. My Russian wife's understandable concern led her to cancel plans to return home, illustrating the real-world impact of these threats on families.

You are having security problems of a personal kind now.

— Anonymous Telegram accountThe most alarming message received by Corcoran, indicating a direct threat to his personal safety.

This experience, shared with colleagues in Moscow, highlights the shrinking space for independent journalism in Russia. While Western media might focus on the geopolitical implications, for those of us with deep ties to the country, the personal danger and the impact on our loved ones are immediate and profound. It's a constant balancing act between reporting the truth and ensuring personal safety in increasingly dangerous times.

Why risk 10 years in some godforsaken gulag?

— Moscow security contactAdvice given to Corcoran by a security contact, urging him to take the threat seriously and stay away from Russia.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Irish Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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