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Saudi Gazette
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Four journalists accused of working for Kremlin foe Navalny convicted of extremism
MOSCOW — A Russian court has convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and sentenced them each to 5 1/2 years in prison. Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that had been labelled as extremist. All four had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists. Favorskaya and Kriger worked with SotaVision, an independent Russian news outlet that covers protests and political trials. Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organizations, including Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has done work for Western media outlets, including The Associated four journalists were accused of working with Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which was designated as extremist and outlawed in 2021 in a move widely seen as politically was President Vladimir Putin's fiercest and most prominent foe and relentlessly campaigned against official corruption in 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 said at an earlier court appearance open to the public that she was being prosecuted for a story she did on abuse Navalny faced behind to reporters from the defendants' cage before the verdict, she also said she was punished for helping organize Navalny's in a closing statement prepared for court that was published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said the accusations against him were groundless and the prosecution failed to prove them."I understand perfectly kind of country I live in. Throughout history, Russia has never been different, there is nothing new in the current situation," Gabov said in the statement. "Independent journalism is equated to extremism."In a statement Karelin prepared for his closing arguments that also was published by Novaya Gazeta, he said he had agreed to do street interviews for Popular Politics, a YouTube channel founded by Navalny's associates, while trying to provide for his wife and a young stressed that the channel wasn't outlawed as extremist and had done nothing illegal."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 court that also was published by the in a closing statement published by SotaVision, said he was imprisoned and added to the Russian financial intelligence's registry of extremists and terrorists "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 who gathered in the court building chanted and applauded as the four journalists were led out of the courtroom after the journalists' lawyers said they would appeal the verdict, which Kriger's attorney, Yelena Sheremetyeva, described as "illegal, unfair.'"The profession of a journalist in itself is not extremism," said Irina Biryukova. "And based on the case materials that are available, I will say that in our opinion, there is no evidence that the guys committed any crimes, or even minor offenses."She said the four "are holding up" and "were happy that so many people came."The closed-door trial was part of a crackdown on dissent that reached an unprecedented scale after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February have targeted opposition figures, independent journalists, rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin with prosecution, jailing hundreds and prompting thousands to flee the Russian human rights group Memorial designated all four as political prisoners, among more than 900 others held in the country. — Euronews
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia jails 4 journalists over alleged work with Navalny's foundation
A Russian court sentenced four journalists to five and a half years in prison each on April 15 for their alleged involvement with Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which Moscow has labeled an "extremist organization," independent outlet Mediazona reported. The case concerned Antonina Favorskaya, Artem Krieger, Sergey Karelin, and Konstantin Gabov, who were said to be producing video content for Navalny-affiliated YouTube channels, including the Navalny Live platform. Testimony against them reportedly came from individuals who previously participated in street interviews for the channel. Favorskaya, a correspondent for independent Russian outlet SotaVision, was detained in March. Moscow court officials claimed she was responsible for "collecting, editing, and publishing" content for FBK, which was banned in Russia in 2021. The other three — Krieger, also with SotaVision, and freelance journalists Gabov and Karelin — were arrested in April and have remained in pre-trial detention. Gabov has worked with Reuters and Poland's state-financed Belsat, while Karelin previously contributed to the Associated Press and Deutsche Welle. The Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Navalny in 2011, gained prominence through its investigations into systemic corruption among Russia's elite. The Kremlin branded the group extremist following Navalny's arrest in January 2021 as part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent. Navalny, who returned to Russia in 2021 after surviving a poisoning attempt, was imprisoned on politically motivated charges and died under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024. Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has since taken up a more public role, vowing to carry on his anti-corruption work and hold the Kremlin accountable. She has directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering her husband. The sentencing of the four journalists underscores the Kremlin's continued suppression of independent media and its escalating efforts to silence voices linked to Navalny's legacy. Read also: Economic partnership with US could spur Russia to end war, White House says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Euronews
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Four journalists accused of working for Kremlin foe Navalny convicted of extremism
ADVERTISEMENT A Russian court has convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and sentenced them each to 5 1/2 years in prison. Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that had been labelled as extremist. All four had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists. Favorskaya and Kriger worked with SotaVision, an independent Russian news outlet that covers protests and political trials. Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organisations, including Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has done work for Western media outlets, including The Associated Press. The four journalists were accused of working with Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which was designated as extremist and outlawed in 2021 in a move widely seen as politically motivated. Navalny was President Vladimir Putin's fiercest and most prominent foe and relentlessly campaigned against official corruption in Russia. He 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. Favorskaya said at an earlier court appearance open to the public that she was being prosecuted for a story she did on abuse Navalny faced behind bars. Speaking to reporters from the defendants' cage before the verdict, she also said she was punished for helping organize Navalny's funeral. Gabov, in a closing statement prepared for court that was published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said the accusations against him were groundless and the prosecution failed to prove them. Russian journalist Sergey Karelin in court in Moscow, 15 April, 2025 AP Photo "I understand perfectly kind of country I live in. Throughout history, Russia has never been different, there is nothing new in the current situation," Gabov said in the statement. "Independent journalism is equated to extremism." In a statement Karelin prepared for his closing arguments that also was published by Novaya Gazeta, he said he had agreed to do street interviews for Popular Politics, a YouTube channel founded by Navalny's associates, while trying to provide for his wife and a young child. He stressed that the channel wasn't outlawed as extremist and had done nothing illegal. ADVERTISEMENT "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 court that also was published by the outlet. Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting on the development of infrastructure for life via videoconference outside Moscow, 15 April, 2025 AP Photo Kriger, in a closing statement published by SotaVision, said he was imprisoned and added to the Russian financial intelligence's registry of extremists and terrorists "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. Supporters who gathered in the court building chanted and applauded as the four journalists were led out of the courtroom after the verdict. ADVERTISEMENT The journalists' lawyers said they would appeal the verdict, which Kriger's attorney, Yelena Sheremetyeva, described as "illegal, unfair.' "The profession of a journalist in itself is not extremism," said Irina Biryukova. "And based on the case materials that are available, I will say that in our opinion, there is no evidence that the guys committed any crimes, or even minor offenses." A woman attends to her husband injured in a Palm Sunday Russian attack on Sumy, 15 April, 2025 AP Photo She said the four "are holding up" and "were happy that so many people came." The closed-door trial was part of a crackdown on dissent that reached an unprecedented scale after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Authorities have targeted opposition figures, independent journalists, rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin with prosecution, jailing hundreds and prompting thousands to flee the country. The Russian human rights group Memorial designated all four as political prisoners, among more than 900 others held in the country.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russia jails four journalists for alleged links to Alexei Navalny's movement
A Russian court has convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and sentenced them to five and a half years in prison each. Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that had been labeled as extremist. All four had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists. The closed-door trial was part of a crackdown on dissent that has reached an unprecedented scale since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The authorities have targeted opposition figures, independent journalists, rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin with prosecution, jailing hundreds and prompting thousands to flee the country. Favorskaya and Kriger worked with Sota Vision, an independent Russian news outlet that covers protests and political trials. Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organisations, including Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has done work for western media outlets including the Associated Press. The four journalists were accused of working with Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was designated as extremist and outlawed in 2021 in a move widely seen as politically motivated. Navalny was 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 for several charges, including running an extremist group, which he had rejected as politically driven. Favorskaya said at an earlier court appearance open to the public that she was being prosecuted for a story she wrote on abuse Navalny faced behind bars. Speaking to reporters from the defendants' cage before the verdict, she also said she was punished for helping to organise Navalny's funeral. Gabov, in a closing statement prepared for court that was published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said the accusations against him were groundless and the prosecution failed to prove them. '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,' Gabov said in the statement. 'Independent journalism is equated to extremism.' Supporters who gathered in the court building chanted and applauded as the four journalists were led out of the courtroom after the verdict. The journalists' lawyers said they would appeal against the verdict, which Kriger's lawyer, Yelena Sheremetyeva, described as illegal and unfair. 'The profession of a journalist in itself is not extremism,' said Irina Biryukova. 'And based on the case materials that are available, I will say that in our opinion, there is no evidence that they committed any crimes, or even minor offences.' She said the four were 'holding up' and were 'happy that so many people came'. The Russian human rights group Memorial designated all four as political prisoners, among more than 900 others held in the country.
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
4 journalists accused of working for Kremlin foe Alexei Navalny convicted of extremism, sentenced to prison
A Russian court on Tuesday convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and sentenced each to 5 1/2 years in prison. Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that had been labeled as extremist. All four had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists. The closed-door trial was part of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent that has reached an unprecedented scale after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The authorities have targeted opposition figures, independent journalists, rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin with prosecution, jailing hundreds and prompting thousands to flee the country . Favorskaya and Kriger worked with SotaVision, an independent Russian news outlet that covers protests and political trials. Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organizations, including Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has done work for Western media outlets, including The Associated Press. The four journalists were accused of working with Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption , which was designated as extremist and outlawed in 2021 in a move widely seen as politically motivated. 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. Favorskaya said at an earlier court appearance open to the public that she was being prosecuted for a story she did on abuse Navalny faced behind bars. Speaking to reporters from the defendants' cage before the verdict, she also said she was punished for helping organize Navalny's funeral . Gabov, in a closing statement prepared for court that was published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said the accusations against him were groundless and the prosecution failed to prove them. "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," Gabov said in the statement. "Independent journalism is equated to extremism." In a statement Karelin prepared for his closing arguments that also was published by Novaya Gazeta , he said he had agreed to do street interviews for Popular Politics, a YouTube channel founded by Navalny's associates, while trying to provide for his wife and a young child. He stressed that the channel wasn't outlawed as extremist and had done nothing illegal. "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 court that also was published by the outlet, in which he emphasized his feelings in capital letters. Kriger, in a closing statement published by SotaVision, said he was imprisoned and added to the Russian financial intelligence's registry of extremists and terrorists "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. Supporters who gathered in the court building chanted and applauded as the four journalists were led out of the courtroom after the verdict. The Russian human rights group Memorial designated all four as political prisoners, among more than 900 others held in the country. That number includes Mikhail Kriger, Artyom Kriger's uncle, a Moscow-based activist who was arrested in 2022 and is serving a seven-year prison sentence. Mikhail Kriger was convicted of justifying terrorism and inciting hatred over Facebook comments in which he expressed a desire "to hang" Putin. The four journalists are not the only people linked to Navalny who have faced charges from the Russian legal system. In January , three lawyers who had defended Navalny were convicted of participating in an "extremist organization" and sentenced to prison. The lawyers had helped transmit Navalny's prison statements to the world before his death. Vadim Kobzev, the most high-profile member of the team, was given a 5 1/2 year sentence. Alexey Lipster was sentenced to five years, and Igor Sergunin was sentenced to 3 1/2 years. In July 2024, five months after Navalny's death was reported, Russia issued an arrest warrant for his wife, Yulia Navalnaya . The country accused Navalnaya of participating in an "extremist organization." Navalnaya, who lives in Germany and was named the chairperson of the Human Rights Foundation in July 2024, derided the decision on social media.
