The reporters were found guilty of working for the opposition figure’s extremist organization.
A Moscow court has sentenced four Russian journalists from Reuters, the Associated Press, and SOTAvision to five and a half years in prison each on extremism charges. They were found guilty of working for an extremist group founded by the late Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny.
Antonina Favorskaya, Artyom Kriger, Konstantin Gabov, and Sergey Karelin were detained last year on charges of collecting materials and producing and editing videos for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), and the NavalnyLIVE YouTube channel. The organizations are considered “extremist” and banned in Russia.
Moscow’s Nagatinsky District Court found the journalists guilty of “participating in an extremist group.” The court also imposed a three-year ban on journalists from managing or operating websites.
The court held the trial behind closed doors, but allowed observers to attend the sentencing on Tuesday. Among those present at the hearing were representatives from the embassies of Australia, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, the US, the Netherlands, and the EU Delegation in Russia.
According to prosecutors, Favorskaya, 35, was collecting materials, producing and editing videos and publications for the FBK – charges she has denied, calling them “absurd.” Kriger, 24, was convicted on similar charges.
SOTAvision, the employer of Favorskaya and Kriger, has consistently rejected the accusations, stating that neither journalist has ever worked for Navalny’s organizations.
Gabov, 38, reportedly worked as a freelance journalist for Reuters, as well as the Russian TV channels Moskva 24 and MIR, and the Belarusian news agency Belsat. Karelin, 42, contributed to the Associated Press.
Earlier this year, three of Navalny’s former lawyers were found guilty of helping the opposition figure lead an extremist group from prison and were sentenced to three and a half to five and a half years behind bars.
Navalny was serving a 19-year prison sentence on multiple extremism-related charges when he died in prison in February 2024.
Lol, F*** around and find out, I hope it plays out like this in the US and elsewhere too but I am not going to hold my breath.