A reporter working for an independent newspaper in Daghestan has been accused of financing terrorism, a charge his editors say is absurd.

Abdulmumin Gadzhiyev is accused of helping to collect funds for the Islamic State extremist group, his lawyer Arsen Shabanov said on June 14.

According to Shabanov, investigators are preparing to question Gadzhiyev, who is a reporter for the Chernovik newspaper.

Police conducted a search of Gadzhiev's home on June 14, during which Shabanov said officers seized computers and mobile phones.

Editors at the Daghestani-based newspaper issued a statement on its website dismissing the charges and comparing the case with that of investigative journalist Ivan Golunov.

Golunov was arrested on June 6 in Moscow for the alleged sale of narcotics, but released on June 11 after charges were dropped following a public outcry.

As a reporter for the Latvia-based Russian online news site Meduza, Golunov had gained renown for investigating corruption among top Moscow city officials and others.

Meduza's editors and others said Golunov's arrest may have been specifically due to his reporting.

Editors of Chernovik said Gadzhiyev's case was similar.

'It's about the same thing as planting drugs on Ivan Golunov in Moscow. If someone needs to be imprisoned, and if he is a bit involved in religious activities, then a reason can always be found.'

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