Latest news with #FoundationforFightingCorruption
29-07-2025
- Politics
Russian journalist sentenced to 12 years over ties to opposition group
MOSCOW -- A Russian journalist was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday on charges of 'extremism' over her links to an opposition group, part of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent. A court in the city of Ufa in Russia's Bashkortostan region found Olga Komleva, 46, guilty of involvement with an organization of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny that was officially branded 'extremist." Following her closed-door trial, the judge also found Komleva guilty on charges of 'spreading false information' about the Russian military. She rejected the charges. Komleva, who has been in custody since her arrest in March 2024, had worked as a volunteer at the regional branch of Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption before it was outlawed in 2021 in a move widely seen as politically motivated. She also worked for an independent news outlet and covered protests in the region. Navalny was President Vladimir Putin's fiercest and most prominent foe and relentlessly campaigned against official corruption in Russia. Navalny died in February 2024 in an Arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year sentence on a number of charges, including running an extremist group, which he had rejected as politically driven. Russian authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, relentlessly targeting rights groups, independent media, members of civil society organizations, LGBTQ+ activists and certain religious affiliations. Hundreds of people have been jailed and thousands of others have fled the country. In January, three lawyers who once represented Navalny were convicted and given sentences ranging from 3½ to five years on charges of involvement with an 'extremist' group. Four journalists were convicted in April on extremism charges for working for Navalny's group and sentenced them each to 5½ years in prison.
Associated Press
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Russian journalist sentenced to 12 years over ties to opposition group
MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian journalist was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday on charges of 'extremism' over her links to an opposition group, part of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent. A court in the city of Ufa in Russia's Bashkortostan region found Olga Komleva, 46, guilty of involvement with an organization of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny that was officially branded 'extremist.' Following her closed-door trial, the judge also found Komleva guilty on charges of 'spreading false information' about the Russian military. She rejected the charges. Komleva, who has been in custody since her arrest in March 2024, had worked as a volunteer at the regional branch of Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption before it was outlawed in 2021 in a move widely seen as politically motivated. She also worked for an independent news outlet and covered protests in the region. Navalny was President Vladimir Putin's fiercest and most prominent foe and relentlessly campaigned against official corruption in Russia. Navalny died in February 2024 in an Arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year sentence on a number of charges, including running an extremist group, which he had rejected as politically driven. Russian authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, relentlessly targeting rights groups, independent media, members of civil society organizations, LGBTQ+ activists and certain religious affiliations. Hundreds of people have been jailed and thousands of others have fled the country. In January, three lawyers who once represented Navalny were convicted and given sentences ranging from 3½ to five years on charges of involvement with an 'extremist' group. Four journalists were convicted in April on extremism charges for working for Navalny's group and sentenced them each to 5½ years in prison.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-corruption journalists who worked with Navalny convicted of ‘extremism' in Russia
A Russian court has convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption organisation founded by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were sentenced to five and a half years each. The court, Moscow's Nagatinsky district court, found them guilty of involvement with a group — Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption — that was labelled 'extremist' in Russia in 2021. All four maintained their innocence and said that they were being prosecuted for doing their job as journalists. This is the latest incident of Kremlim persecuting dissenting voices in the country including activists, independent journalists and political opponents. The crackdown on dissent has only intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Two of the four convicted journalists, Favorskaya and Kriger worked with SotaVision — an independent Russian media outlet known for documenting protests and political trials. Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked with several international news organisations including with Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has contributed to the Associated Press. 'They will all appeal' their sentences, Ivan Novikov, the lawyer defending Kriger told the reporters. 'The sentence is unlawful and unjust,' said a second lawyer for Kriger, Yelena Sheremetyeva. 'No evidence was presented that these guys committed any crimes, their guilt was not proven,' Gabov's lawyer Irina Biryukova said. Navalny was a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin and his policies and fiercely fought against corruption in Russia. He died last year in February while serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic prison colony — which many of his defenders said was aimed at silencing him. The press secretary of Navalny's widow Yulia, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on X: 'Antonina, Artem, Sergei and Konstantin are real journalists and just honest, brave people. They should be released immediately.' She said that they were being punished for doing their job. One of the four journalists, Favorskaya, has said at an earlier court appearance that she was being targetted for doing a story on the abuse Navalny faced in prison. Gabov called the accusations groundless and said in his closing statement — which was also published by Novaya Gazeta newspaper: 'I understand perfectly well (...) what kind of country I live in. Throughout history, Russia has never been different, there is nothing new in the current situation. Independent journalism is equated to extremism.' Karelin said in his closing arguments that he had done street interviews for a YouTube channel, Popular Politics, founded by Navalny's associates. He claimed that the channel was not labelled 'extremist' and that he had done nothing wrong. 'Remorse is considered to be a mitigating circumstance. It's the criminals who need to have remorse for what they did. But I am in prison for my work, for the honest and impartial attitude to journalism, FOR THE LOVE for my family and country,' he wrote in a separate speech for the court that also was published by Novaya Gazeta. Kriger, in a closing statement published by SotaVision, said that he was being targeted 'only because I have conscientiously carried out my professional duties as an honest, incorruptible and independent journalist for 4 1/2 years'. 'Don't despair guys, sooner or later it will end and those who delivered the sentence will go behind bars,' Kriger said after the verdict.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Anti-corruption journalists who worked with Navalny convicted of ‘extremism' in Russia
A Russian court has convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption organisation founded by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were sentenced to five and a half years each. The court, Moscow 's Nagatinsky district court, found them guilty of involvement with a group — Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption — that was labelled 'extremist' in Russia in 2021. All four maintained their innocence and said that they were being prosecuted for doing their job as journalists. This is the latest incident of Kremlim persecuting dissenting voices in the country including activists, independent journalists and political opponents. The crackdown on dissent has only intensified after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Two of the four convicted journalists, Favorskaya and Kriger worked with SotaVision — an independent Russian media outlet known for documenting protests and political trials. Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked with several international news organisations including with Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has contributed to the Associated Press. 'They will all appeal' their sentences, Ivan Novikov, the lawyer defending Kriger told the reporters. 'The sentence is unlawful and unjust,' said a second lawyer for Kriger, Yelena Sheremetyeva. 'No evidence was presented that these guys committed any crimes, their guilt was not proven,' Gabov's lawyer Irina Biryukova said. Navalny was a vocal critic of Vladimir Putin and his policies and fiercely fought against corruption in Russia. He died last year in February while serving a 19-year sentence in an Arctic prison colony — which many of his defenders said was aimed at silencing him. The press secretary of Navalny's widow Yulia, Kira Yarmysh, wrote on X: 'Antonina, Artem, Sergei and Konstantin are real journalists and just honest, brave people. They should be released immediately.' She said that they were being punished for doing their job. One of the four journalists, Favorskaya, has said at an earlier court appearance that she was being targetted for doing a story on the abuse Navalny faced in prison. Gabov called the accusations groundless and said in his closing statement — which was also published by Novaya Gazeta newspaper: 'I understand perfectly well (...) what kind of country I live in. Throughout history, Russia has never been different, there is nothing new in the current situation. Independent journalism is equated to extremism.' Karelin said in his closing arguments that he had done street interviews for a YouTube channel, Popular Politics, founded by Navalny's associates. He claimed that the channel was not labelled 'extremist' and that he had done nothing wrong. 'Remorse is considered to be a mitigating circumstance. It's the criminals who need to have remorse for what they did. But I am in prison for my work, for the honest and impartial attitude to journalism, FOR THE LOVE for my family and country,' he wrote in a separate speech for the court that also was published by Novaya Gazeta. Kriger, in a closing statement published by SotaVision, said that he was being targeted 'only because I have conscientiously carried out my professional duties as an honest, incorruptible and independent journalist for 4 1/2 years'. 'Don't despair guys, sooner or later it will end and those who delivered the sentence will go behind bars,' Kriger said after the verdict.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia jails four journalists for alleged extremist ties to late Alexei Navalny
Four Russian journalists accused of working with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny have each been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison. Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that was labelled as extremist. All four, who worked with Mr Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption, maintained their innocence and said they had been targeted for their work as journalists. Mr Navalny was Russia's most prominent opposition politician and relentlessly campaigned against official corruption in the Kremlin. He died last year in an Arctic penal colony while serving a 19-year sentence, which he had rejected as politically driven. Russian authorities have targeted opposition figures, independent journalists, rights activists and ordinary Russian citizens who are critical of the Kremlin, particularly since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It came as Russia's foreign spy service chief, Sergei Naryshkin, said the country's security services, as well as its key ally Belarus, were ready to act proactively in response to 'escalation' by Europe over the war in Ukraine. 'We feel and see that European countries, especially France, Britain and Germany, are increasing the level of escalation around the Ukrainian conflict, so we need to act preemptively. We are ready for this,' he said during talks with Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian dictator, in Minsk. Mr Naryshkin gave no details of how Russia and Belarus would respond to European 'escalation'. Western security officials suspect agents hired by both countries were behind a number of attacks across the continent in recent years, including targeting under sea cables and cargo planes. Meanwhile, Ukraine on Tuesday claimed to have struck a Russian military base belonging to one of the Russian rocket brigades it says conducted a deadly strike on the city of Sumy on Palm Sunday. '(A base) of the 448th missile brigade of the Russian occupiers was hit, a secondary detonation of ammunition was recorded. 'The results of the strike are being clarified,' the military said in a statement on Telegram. Footage taken on the side of a road appears to show a huge fire roaring at the base, which is based in Kursk, late last night. Residents in the northern Ukrainian region were still reeling from the deadly ballistic missile strike, which killed 34 people and injured over 100 more. 'Everyone I spoke to feels despair, sadness, rage and hatred for the enemy,' Liza Sherstyuk, a local aid worker, told the Telegraph. The strike was widely condemned by European leaders but the G7 was blocked from releasing a joint statement criticising Russia by the Trump administration. A source told Bloomberg that the US would refrain from criticising Russia over the attack as it wanted to keep peace negotiations with the Kremlin on track. But the Kremlin played down the prospect of a peace deal being reached any time soon, saying there was 'no clear outline' of an agreement. 'There are no clear outlines of any deal yet. But there is a political will to move toward a deal,' Vladimir Putin's spokesman said. JD Vance, the vice president, also played down a suggestion by Volodymyr Zelensky that the US had sided with Russia in the conflict. 'I think it's sort of absurd for Zelensky to tell the [US] government, which is currently keeping his entire government and war effort together, that we are somehow on the side of the Russians,' Mr Vance said in a new interview. 'You have to try to understand where both the Russians and the Ukrainians see their strategic objectives. That doesn't mean you morally support the Russian cause,' he told the UnHerd website. Discussing his public row with Donald Trump and Mr Vance in February, Mr Zelensky earlier told CBS News: 'It seems to me that the [US] vice-president is somehow justifying Putin's actions.' The Ukrainian president said he tried to explain to Mr Vance that 'there is an aggressor and a victim. The Russians are the aggressor, and we are the victim'. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
