 (1).png){kind=spacer}
7 hours ago
1
Four Russian journalists were sentenced to 5.5 years each on “extremism” charges Tuesday over their alleged work with the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s organizations, the independent news outlet SOTAvision reported.
Antonina Favorskaya, Artyom Kriger, Konstantin Gabov and Sergei Karelin were detained last year on accusations of gathering material and preparing and editing videos for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the NavalnyLIVE YouTube channel. All four have maintained their innocence, saying they were being prosecuted for their work as journalists.
Moscow's Nagatinsky District Court found the journalists guilty of “participating in an extremist community” following a trial that was closed to the public, SOTAvision reported from the courtroom on Tuesday.
The court also handed the journalists a three-year ban on administering websites.
Prosecutors had earlier requested that the journalists be sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison each.
SOTAvision, Favorskaya and Kriger’s employer, has repeatedly denied the accusations against them, saying neither journalist had ever worked for Navalny’s organizations.
Favorskaya, 35, had covered Navalny’s court hearings and filmed the last known video of the Kremlin critic before his Feb. 16, 2024, death in an Arctic penal colony. He was serving a 19-year prison sentence for “extremism” when he died under unclear circumstances.
Favorskaya previously said she was being persecuted for “helping to organize” Navalny’s funeral, while Kriger, 24, was prosecuted for filming street interviews, SOTAvision said.
Gabov, 38, reportedly worked for Reuters and the Russian television channels Moskva 24 and MIR, as well as the Belarusian news agency Belsat. Karelin, 42, has done work for the Associated Press.
Russian authorities banned Navalny’s activist and political groups including FBK as “extremist” in 2021, putting employees, volunteers and supporters at risk of criminal prosecution.
In January, three former Navalny journalists were sentenced to prison for up to five and a half years on the same charges of “participating in extremist activity.”
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
