ROME - for the war correspondent Stefania Battistini, who is being prosecuted by the Kremlin for an allegedly illegal crossing into Russia, life has not got much easier following her emergency repatriation. Living under police protection in Italy, the RAI reporter opened up about dealing with death threats from Russian apologists who still believe federal law was violated in August when she crossed the border to report on Ukraine's invasion of Kursk. 

 On Aug.17, the Russian Ministry of the Interior confirmed Battistini and her colleague Simone Traini on their list of journalists wanted for alleged violation of Russian law. Working in Ukraine at the time, both reporters were immediately repatriated by RAI out of concerns for their 'personal safety and security'. The Kremlin claimed that the journalists went against an article of the Russian Penal Code, arguing that prosecution was in order for having conducted an 'illegal border crossing' and taken videos in Sudzha, a town in the region being invaded by Ukrainian forces. 

 But Battistini vehemently denies any violation of the law, defending her right to cross the border in her capacity as a press official. "The accusation is perplexing in that it [Kursk] is a zone of conflict and therefore we followed the troops in. People have always done it this way". She stressed how she respected international law and standard procedure by dressing differently from the military and making clear her status as a correspondent. 

 Battistini interprets the Kremlin's prosecution as an attempt to limit the press coverage of Ukraine's first advance into Russia, which many saw as indicative of increasing Ukrainian success in the war. Italian politicians, government officials and press organisations showed a rare moment of complete unity in response to the Kremlin's allegations, expressing their support for the two journalists. Usigrai, the organisation that represents Rai reporters, and the Press Federation both declared that they stand "beside all the journalists who risk their lives on a daily basis for the duty of reportage". In September, the Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced that he had invited the Russian Ambassador to discuss Moscow's decision with him, but seemingly no meeting took place. 

 However, Battistini and Traini are certainly not the only ones trying to dodge the Kremlin's blows; they join a significant and multinational list of reporters under similar prosecution, ranging from CNN's Nick Walsh to a handful of Ukrainian journalists. In the interview with Rai, Battistini described her current living conditions under protection from the Italian police - provisions in place as threats against her life from pro-Russia propagandists continue. For Battistini and the other journalists facing Kremlin prosecution, the personal dangers of war reportage stretch far beyond the borders of Eastern Europe. 

 dabj