Russian Journalists Arrested on Extremism Charges
Two Russian journalists, Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin, were arrested on "extremism charges" and ordered to remain in custody pending investigation and trial. They are accused of working for a group founded by the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
Both Gabov and Karelin denied the charges, which carry a minimum sentence of two years and a maximum of six years. Their arrests are part of a broader crackdown on dissent and independent media in Russia, which intensified after the country's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian government has passed laws criminalizing what it deems false information about the military, effectively outlawing any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative.
Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing materials for a YouTube channel run by Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which has been outlawed by Russian authorities. Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February.
Gabov is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organizations, including Reuters. Karelin, who has dual citizenship with Israel, has worked for a number of outlets, including The Associated Press. He was a cameraman for German media outlet Deutsche Welle until the Kremlin banned the outlet from operating in Russia in February 2022.
The Associated Press is very concerned by the detention of Karelin.
Russia's crackdown on dissent is aimed at opposition figures, journalists, activists, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin. A number of journalists have been jailed in relation to their coverage of Navalny, including Antonina Favorskaya, who remains in pre-trial detention.
Favorskaya was accused by Russian authorities of taking part in an extremist organization by posting on the social media platforms of Navalny's Foundation. She covered Navalny's court hearings for years and filmed the last video of Navalny before he died.
Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's spokeswoman, said that Favorskaya did not publish anything on the Foundation's platforms and suggested that Russian authorities have targeted her because she was doing her job as a journalist.
Evan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American reporter for The Wall Street Journal, is awaiting trial on espionage charges at Moscow's notorious Lefortovo Prison. Both Gershkovich and his employer have vehemently denied the charges.
Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 while on a reporting trip and has spent over a year in jail; authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges.
The U.S. government has declared Gershkovich wrongfully detained, with officials accusing Moscow of using the journalist as a pawn for political ends.
The Russian government has also cracked down on opposition figures. One prominent activist, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years.