The source confirmed the fact of searches at Badanin and correspondent Maria Zholobova's.
At the same time, he clarified that the searches are related to a criminal libel case (Article 128.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia), initiated in 2017 in St. Petersburg.
"The searches are related to the libel case," the RT interlocutor clarified.
According to him, during the searches, computers and other equipment were seized from the journalists.
According to the source, now Badanin, who was previously a witness in the case, has become a suspect.
It was not possible to get a comment from him himself - the editor-in-chief's phone was turned off.
According to RT sources in law enforcement agencies, on November 14, 2017, the investigative unit to investigate organized crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in St. Petersburg opened a criminal case under Article 5 of Art.
128.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia "Slander".
“The case was initiated at the request of the family members of businessman Ilya Traber,” the RT source said.
The reason was the documentary film of the Dozhd TV channel, where Badanin worked at that time, under the title “Petersburg.
Father and son".
It told about the Traber family, who was allegedly "close" to the president and built a business thanks to his connections with the country's top leadership.
Badanin, who took part in the preparation of the plot, was a witness at the time of the initiation of the criminal case.
Also the employees of "Dozhd" who took part in the filming of the film became witnesses in the case.
Earlier, RT received documents related to the Proekt publication, from which it became known that the self-called independent media was funded from abroad - in the form of so-called grants from European and American authorities.
Read more in the material RT.