Independent journalist from Russia Andrey Novikov intends to ask for political asylum By Grigory Pasko, journalist Andrei Novikov, independent journalist, was detained on 5 December 2006 in the city of Rybinsk of Yaroslavl Oblast. Officially, the reason for bringing him to criminal liability became two unpublished electronic letters, in which the procuracy discerned a violation of item 1 of article 280 of the Criminal Code of the RF (“public calls for the implementation of extremist activity”). Andrei Novikov (photo by Grigory Pasko)