Journalists
Four Russian journalists have been sentenced to 5.5 years in prison on “extremism” charges for their alleged connections to the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s organizations, according to independent news outlet SOTAvision.
The journalists—Antonina Favorskaya, Artyom Kriger, Konstantin Gabov, and Sergei Karelin—were detained last year on accusations of gathering material and producing content for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the NavalnyLIVE YouTube channel. Despite the charges, the journalists have consistently denied the allegations, asserting that they are being prosecuted solely for their work as journalists.
The Nagatinsky District Court in Moscow found the four journalists guilty of “participating in an extremist community” after a closed trial, which was not open to the public.
In addition to the prison sentences, the court imposed a three-year ban on the journalists’ ability to administer websites. Prosecutors had initially requested that each journalist be sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison.
SOTAvision, the media outlet employing Favorskaya and Kriger, has rejected the accusations, emphasizing that neither journalist had any formal association with Navalny’s organizations.
The court proceedings have drawn international criticism, with many viewing the case as part of Russia’s broader crackdown on dissent and independent journalism.
Favorskaya, 35, had been involved in covering Navalny’s court hearings and was the last person to film a video of him before his death on February 16, 2024, while he was incarcerated in an Arctic penal colony.
Navalny, serving a 19-year prison sentence on charges of “extremism,” died under suspicious circumstances, sparking further outcry. Favorskaya has stated that she is being persecuted for her role in organizing Navalny’s funeral. Kriger, 24, was prosecuted for filming street interviews.
Gabov, 38, had worked for major international outlets including Reuters, Russian TV channels Moskva 24 and MIR, and Belarusian news agency Belsat. Karelin, 42, had contributed to the Associated Press.
Russian authorities had already declared Navalny’s activist groups, including FBK, “extremist” in 2021, a designation that subjected anyone associated with them to potential criminal prosecution.
Earlier this year, three former lawyers for Navalny were also sentenced to prison terms of up to five and a half years on similar charges of “participating in extremist activity.” This ongoing persecution of journalists and activists highlights the increasing pressure on independent media and opposition voices in Russia, as the Kremlin continues its crackdown on dissent.
