Russia convicts 4 journalists accused of working for Alexei Navalny

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A Russian tribunal connected Tuesday convicted 4 journalists of extremism for moving for an anti-corruption radical founded by the precocious absorption person Alexei Navalny and sentenced each to 5 1/2 years successful prison.

Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were recovered blameworthy of engagement with a radical that had been labeled arsenic extremist. All 4 had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs arsenic journalists.

The closed-door proceedings was portion of an unrelenting crackdown connected dissent that has reached an unprecedented standard aft Moscow sent troops into Ukraine successful February 2022.

The authorities person targeted absorption figures, autarkic journalists, rights activists and mean Russians captious of the Kremlin with prosecution, jailing hundreds and prompting thousands to fly the country.

Favorskaya and Kriger worked with SotaVision, an autarkic Russian quality outlet that covers protests and governmental trials. Gabov is simply a freelance shaper who has worked for aggregate organizations, including Reuters. Karelin, a freelance video journalist, has done enactment for Western media outlets, including The Associated Press.

The 4 journalists were accused of moving with Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which was designated arsenic extremist and outlawed successful 2021 successful a determination wide seen arsenic politically motivated.

Navalny was President Vladimir Putin's fiercest and astir salient foe and relentlessly campaigned against authoritative corruption successful Russia. Navalny died successful February 2024 successful an Arctic penal colony portion serving a 19-year sentence connected a fig of charges, including moving an extremist group, which helium had rejected arsenic politically driven.

Favorskaya said astatine an earlier tribunal quality unfastened to the nationalist that she was being prosecuted for a communicative she did connected maltreatment Navalny faced down bars. Speaking to reporters from the defendants' cage earlier the verdict, she besides said she was punished for helping organize Navalny's funeral.

Gabov, successful a closing connection prepared for tribunal that was published by the autarkic Novaya Gazeta newspaper, said the accusations against him were groundless and the prosecution failed to beryllium them.

"I recognize perfectly good ... what benignant of state I unrecorded in. Throughout history, Russia has ne'er been different, determination is thing caller successful the existent situation," Gabov said successful the statement. "Independent journalism is equated to extremism."

In a connection Karelin prepared for his closing arguments that besides was published by Novaya Gazeta, helium said helium had agreed to bash thoroughfare interviews for Popular Politics, a YouTube transmission founded by Navalny's associates, portion trying to supply for his woman and a young child. He stressed that the transmission wasn't outlawed arsenic extremist and had done thing illegal.

"Remorse is considered to beryllium a mitigating circumstance. It's the criminals who request to person remorse for what they did. But I americium successful situation for my work, for the honorable and impartial cognition to journalism, FOR THE LOVE for my household and country," helium wrote successful a abstracted code for tribunal that besides was published by the outlet, successful which helium emphasized his feelings successful superior letters.

Kriger, successful a closing connection published by SotaVision, said helium was imprisoned and added to the Russian fiscal intelligence's registry of extremists and terrorists "only due to the fact that I person conscientiously carried retired my nonrecreational duties arsenic an honest, incorruptible and autarkic writer for 4 1/2 years."

"Don't despair guys, sooner oregon aboriginal it volition extremity and those who delivered the condemnation volition spell down bars," Kriger said aft the verdict.

Supporters who gathered successful the tribunal gathering chanted and applauded arsenic the 4 journalists were led retired of the courtroom aft the verdict.

The Russian quality rights radical Memorial designated each 4 arsenic governmental prisoners, among much than 900 others held successful the country. That fig includes Mikhail Kriger, Artyom Kriger's uncle, a Moscow-based activistic who was arrested successful 2022 and is serving a seven-year situation sentence.

Mikhail Kriger was convicted of justifying coercion and inciting hatred implicit Facebook comments successful which helium expressed a tendency "to hang" Putin.

The 4 journalists are not the lone radical linked to Navalny who person faced charges from the Russian ineligible system. In January , 3 lawyers who had defended Navalny were convicted of participating successful an "extremist organization" and sentenced to prison. The lawyers had helped transmit Navalny's situation statements to the satellite earlier his death. Vadim Kobzev, the astir high-profile subordinate of the team, was fixed a 5 1/2 twelvemonth sentence. Alexey Lipster was sentenced to 5 years, and Igor Sergunin was sentenced to 3 1/2 years.

In July 2024, 5 months aft Navalny's decease was reported, Russia issued an apprehension warrant for his wife, Yulia Navalnaya. The state accused Navalnaya of participating successful an "extremist organization." Navalnaya, who lives successful Germany and was named the chairperson of the Human Rights Foundation successful July 2024, derided the determination connected societal media.