Russian journalist dies burning herself

Russian journalist Irina Slavina is dead, who set herself on fire in the town of Nizeny Novgorod after a police raid on her apartment in search of evidence for her alleged connection to an opposition group.

She set herself on fire before an Interior Ministry office in the city of Nizhniy Novgorod, while before she carried out this act she wrote on the social Facebook network: “I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death”.

Slavina said on Thursday that police had searched her apartment by looking for materials regarding the pro-democracy group “Open Russia”. It has been seized by computers, notebooks, mobile phones, and other equipment.

The local branch of the Emergency Ministry confirmed to Radio Free Europe that a woman had died after burning herself near police headquarters atzhny Novgorod, but refused to identify the victim.

The independent Koza Press news website, where Slavina was an editor, later confirmed her identity.

Russian authorities consider the Open Russian “” an organisation called <x2 undesirable “” and have repeatedly targeted its group and leadership.

Slavina was also fined several times for her articles.

Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed that Irina Slavina, who leaves behind a man and a girl, had died but denied any connection to the control of her apartment.