A Russian court has sentenced four journalists five and a half years in prison, each after condemning the issue of “extremism” linked to his alleged work with an organization founded by the late leader of the opposition Alexey Navalny.
Antonina favorkaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were declared guilty on Tuesday by the Nagatinsky District Court of Moscow with a group designated as an extremist by the Russian authorities.
The four deny the charges, insisting that they are being punished for carrying out their journalistic duties.
The verdict is the last chapter in the repression of Russia against dissent and an effort that has only intensive since Moscow launched its large -scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The authorities have moved aggressively against Kremlin’s critics, including political opponents, defenders of human rights and independent journalists. Hundreds have been imprisoned and thousands have fled the country for fear of prosecution.
Favorskaya and Kriger were affiliated with Sotission, a means of communication known for documenting protests and judicial procedures. Gabov, an independent producer, has worked with several international media groups, including the Reuters news agency. Karelin, an independent video journalist, has contributed to the Associated Press news agency.
The prosecutors accused the four involved with the Navalny Anti -Corruption Foundation, which was prohibited and labeled with extremist in 2021, a movement that critics condemned as motivated politicians.
Navalny, seen for a long time as the most formidable critic of President Vladimir Putin, won prominence through his investigations on state corruption. He died in February 2024, at age 47, while serving a 19 -year sentence in a remote Arctic prison colony, convicted of positions that many said they were designed to silence him.
‘I’m in prison for my work’
Favorskaya said in an appearance in the previous court open to the public that was being prosecuted for a story that made the abuse of Beind’s bars. Speaking to journalists from the defendant’s cage before the verdict, he also said he was punished for helping Navalny’s organic funeral.
Gabov, in a closing statement prepared for the Court that was published by the independent newspaper of Novaya Gazeta, said that the accusations against him had no foundation and the Prosecutor’s Office could not prove them.
“I understand perfectly well … in which son of the living country. Through history, Russia has never been different, there is nothing new in the current situation,” Gabov said in the statement. “Independent journalism is equated with extremism.”
In a Statement Karelin prepared for His Closing Arguments That Also Was Published by Novaya Gazeta, He Said He Had added to Do Street Interviews For Popular Politics, A YouTube Channel Founded by Navalny’s Associate His Wifide for His Wifide for His Wifide for His Wifide for His Wifide for His Wifide for His Wifide for His small for his wood for his wood for his back for his mirror for his wood for his mirror for his wood for his wife for his Wifide for his. He was stressed that the channel was not prohibited as “extremist” and had made an illegal note.
“Remorse is a consultant to be an attenuating circumstance. It is criminals who need to regret for what they did. But I am in prison for my work, for the honest and impartial attitude towards journalism, for the love of my family and the country, in which it emphasized their feelings in the capital letters.
Kriger, in a final statement published by Sotission, said that he was imprisoned and added to the registration of Russian financial intelligence of “extremists and terrorists” “just because I have taken journalist and 1 journalist for journalist conscientiously for the Honitantentant manner for the journalist.”
“Do not despair of the boys, sooner or later they will end and those who delivered the prayer will go after bars,” Kriger said after the verdict.
The supporters who gathered in the Court building sang and applauded when the four journalists were taken from the courtroom after the verdict.
“Everyone will appeal” their sentences, said Ivan Novikov, the lawyer who defends Kriger.
“The sentence is Anawlosa and unfair,” said a second Kriger lawyer, Yelena Sheremeticyeva.
“There were no evidence that these guys committed any crime, their guilt was not proven,” said Gabov’s lawyer, Irina Biryukova.