Regnum calls Andrei Loshak a 'director' in its headline, a 'journalist' in its text and a 'foreign agent'; Vedomosti calls him a 'documentary maker'

What happened. On 6 October Moscow's Basmanny district court ordered the arrest in absentia of Andrei Loshak, Regnum reports. Its source is the press service of Moscow's courts. Vedomosti also reports the arrest.

The charge. Regnum says the case is about 'justifying terrorism'. We hold only Vedomosti's headline, so it neither confirms nor contradicts this.

The term. Regnum says that if he is detained, Loshak will be held for two months. It attributes this to the court press service. No other report we hold gives a term.

Three words for one man.

What is not settled. - What Loshak said or published that the case is built on. Neither report says. - Whether Vedomosti's text uses the label or names the charge. We hold only its headline. - Loshak's own response. Neither report quotes him or a lawyer. - The two-month term comes from one report and one source.

What this is about. A Russian court has ordered the arrest of a journalist and filmmaker who lives outside Russia. He cannot be detained unless he returns or is handed over.

How it got here. Russia invaded Ukraine in full in February 2022. The war itself began in 2014. Within weeks of the 2022 invasion, Russia passed laws that punish 'false information' about the army and 'discrediting' it. Many independent journalists left the country. Prosecutors have since brought cases against those who left. Courts try them in their absence.

'Justifying terrorism' is an offence in Russia's criminal code. Rights groups say it is used against speech. The authorities say it targets support for violence. That dispute is not settled here.

'Arrest in absentia' means a court orders custody for someone who is abroad. It lets the state put the person on a wanted list. The arrest only takes effect if the person is caught.

Who is involved. - Andrei Loshak is a Russian journalist and documentary maker. He lives in exile. - The Basmanny district court is in central Moscow. It has heard many of Russia's high-profile political cases. - The Justice Ministry keeps the register of 'foreign agents'. The status was created in 2012 and widened several times since. Anyone on the list must carry the label on what they publish. Russian media must add it when they name them.

What is at stake. For Loshak, a wanted status limits where he can safely travel. For Russian readers, cases like this make clear what can and cannot be said about the war. For Russian outlets, even the words they choose for a defendant are a choice made under the law. The 'foreign agent' bracket is required by law; whether Vedomosti's text carries it, we cannot see.

Where it stands. The court ordered the arrest on 6 October. We hold no report of an appeal or of any response from Loshak.