Russia Jailed These Four Journalists For Allegedly Working With Late Opposition Leader Alexei Navalny
All four have denied working for Navalny’s organization, saying they are being punished for their journalistic work and that "independent journalism is equated to extremism."
Russia has sentenced four journalists to more than five years in prison for allegedly having ties to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Navalny, who was Russian president Vladimir Putin’s biggest critic, died in prison in February 2024, while serving a 19-year sentence in a remote Arctic prison for “promoting extremism”.
The four journalists, Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergei Karelin and Artyom Kriger, were arrested in 2024 for reportedly working with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), a prominent force in Russia against corruption, which authorities designated as an "extremist organization,” and producing content for FBK’s YouTube channel.
The four journalists were working with well known organizations like Reuters, the Associated Press and SotaVision.
Favorskaya was detained on March 17, 2024, after filming Navalny’s final video and visiting his grave.
Gabov and Karelin were then arrested on March 26 and 27 for allegedly preparing video materials for FBK’s YouTube channel.
Kriger was arrested on June 18 for reporting on anti-war protests and trials involving the opposition.
All four have denied working for Navalny’s organization, saying they are being punished for their journalistic work and that "independent journalism is equated to extremism."
On April 16, a Russian court sentenced them each to five and half years in prison.
The lawyer defending Kriger said they will all appeal their sentences, adding that their sentences were “unlawful and unjust,” according to Al Jazeera.
Since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has been cracking down on journalists by passing laws criminalizing anti-war protests and war reporting, with people facing up to 15 years in prison and being forced into exile.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have condemned the sentences, calling them a blatant attack on independent journalism and press freedom in Russia and urged Russia to release the four journalists.
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Wendy Chuang
