A blogger from Russia's North Caucasus charged with terrorism -- which she rejects as an attempt to stop her investigative reporting -- has fled house arrest and is currently trapped on the Russian-Georgian border as the authorities in Tbilisi debate what to do.
Yegor Kuroptev, the director of Free Russia Foundation in Georgia, said on Telegram on June 16 that Insa Lander fled her native Kabardino-Balkaria region five days before and had been stuck in a neutral segment of the border since then without food or water.
"When we and representatives of Georgia's ombudsman tried to go and meet with her, police stopped us. We turned to Georgia's Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry, but they have yet to decide what moves can be made," Kuroptev said.
Lithuania's ambassador to Georgia, Andrius Kalindra, told a conference in Tbilisi on June 16 where Kuroptev was present that his country was ready to provide Lander with a visa if she is allowed to enter Georgia.
Lander, who resided in Moscow for many years, was arrested in Kabardino-Balkaria in December 2021 when she came to visit relatives.
She was charged with recruiting a person to a terrorist group. The charge was based on an online chat she had with an acquaintance.
Lander and her supporters have rejected the charge, saying the case was fabricated to stop her from investigating alleged corruption at a charity foundation led by a top official in Kabardino-Balkaria.