Nadira Rashidovna Isayeva (; born 29 July 1979), sometimes spelled Isaeva, is a Russian journalist who has been internationally recognized for her reporting on security issues in

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

. Isayeva is editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper '' Chernovik'' (English: ''Rough Draft'') in

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...

, described by

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; ; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation, non-governmental organization headquartered in Paris, which focuses on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its a ...

as "Dagestan’s leading independent newspaper". In this role, she ran a series of articles criticizing the

Federal Security Service The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation �СБ, ФСБ России (FSB) is the principal security agency of Russia and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union's KGB; its immediate predecessor was the Federal Counterin ...

's tactics in fighting the region's

insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare against a larger authority. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric warfare, asymmetric nature: small irregular forces ...

. In 2008, she published an interview with a former guerrilla leader in which the subject accused local authorities of corruption and connections to the

Kremlin The Moscow Kremlin (also the Kremlin) is a fortified complex in Moscow, Russia. Located in the centre of the country's capital city, the Moscow Kremlin (fortification), Kremlin comprises five palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Mosco ...

. She was subsequently arrested on 31 July under anti-extremist legislation for "inciting hatred toward law enforcement officials" and other charges. If convicted, she would have faced up to five years' imprisonment. ''Chernovik'' reporters Magomed Magomedov, Artur Mamayev and Timur Mustafayev were also charged, along with their lawyer Biyakai Magomedov. The trial began in January 2010, with the prosecution claiming that Isayeva's articles "publicly justified terrorism". The prosecution also required her to take part in multiple psychological and linguistic examinations, on which its case was largely built. Following a defense challenge, the findings of these examinations were overturned by the Federal Centre for Forensic Examination in Moscow, and the case against Isayeva and her colleagues was dismissed on 19 May 2011. Following her acquittal, Isayeva stated that she saw the case as "a test for the institution of press freedom" in Dagestan. Isayeva's reporting and prosecution drew the attention of numerous press and press freedom organizations. The editorial board of the US newspaper ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' has praised Isayeva's work, calling her a "first-rate journalist" and "hero". UK press freedom group ARTICLE 19 condemned her prosecution as part of a "trend" of harassment by authorities of Dagestani reporters. Reporters Without Borders and the

Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York City, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists. The '' American Journalism ...

both hailed her acquittal, and the latter organization awarded her a 2010 International Press Freedom Award for risking her "freedom and security" for her reporting. Following continued harassment by authorities, Isayeva left Dagestan in November 2011. On 15 December

Gadzhimurat Kamalov Gadzhimurat Magomedovich Kamalov, (; 11 February 1965 – 15 December 2011) was a Russian investigative journalist and the owner of Svoboda Slova (translated as "Freedom of Speech"), the media company that published the newspaper ''Chernovik''. ...

, Isayeva's former boss at Chernovik and close colleague, was shot dead by an unknown gunman. CPJ described his death as "a lethal blow to press freedom" and "a massive loss for independent journalism in the North Caucasus, Russia's most dangerous place for reporters". After staying with friends in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

for two months, Isayeva was named a visiting scholar at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

Harriman Institute The Harriman Institute, the first academic center in the United States devoted to the interdisciplinary study of Russia and the Soviet Union, was founded at Columbia University in 1946, with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, as the Russi ...

in the U.S., arriving there in February 2012.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isayeva, Nadira Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Russian women journalists Dagestan State University alumni