Current:Home > MarketsTwo Russian journalists jailed on ‘extremism’ charges for alleged work for Navalny group -Wealth Harmony Labs
Two Russian journalists jailed on ‘extremism’ charges for alleged work for Navalny group
View
Date:2025-04-15 15:41:20
LONDON (AP) — Two Russian journalists were arrested by their government on “extremism” charges and ordered by courts there on Saturday to remain in custody pending investigation and trial on accusations of working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin both denied the charges for which they will be detained for a minimum of two months before any trials begin. Each faces a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of six years for alleged “participation in an extremist organization,” according to Russian courts.
They are just the latest journalists arrested amid a Russian government crackdown on dissent and independent media that intensified after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The Russian government passed laws criminalizing what it deems false information about the military, or statements seen as discrediting the military, effectively outlawing any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative.
A journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, Sergei Mingazov, was detained on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military, his lawyer said Friday.
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, who was detained in Moscow, is a freelance producer who has worked for multiple organizations, including Reuters, the court press service said. Reuters did not immediately comment on the ruling by the court.
Karelin, who has dual citizenship with Israel, was detained Friday night in Russia’s northern Murmansk region.
Karelin, 41, has worked for a number of outlets, including for 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 Russian video journalist Sergey Karelin,” the AP said in a statement. “We are seeking additional information.”
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 at least until May 28 following a hearing last month.
Favorskaya was detained and 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 in the penal colony.
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.
veryGood! (1468)
Related
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Son accused of killing father, stepmother, stepbrother will be extradited
- Kaitlyn Bristowe Addresses Run-In With Ex Jason Tartick on 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards Red Carpet
- Nebraska to become 17th Big Ten school to sell alcohol at football games in 2025 if regents give OK
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Cardi B says she regrets marrying Offset: 'Always been too good for you'
- NASCAR Cup Series playoffs enter Round of 12: Where drivers stand before Kansas race
- Attorneys tweak $2.78B college settlement, remove the word ‘booster’ from NIL language
- Travis Hunter, the 2
- Cardi B says she regrets marrying Offset: 'Always been too good for you'
Ranking
- Small twin
- Ulta Fall Haul Sale: 46 Celebrity Beauty Favorites from Kyle Richards & More—Starting at $3
- From 'Inside Out 2' to 'Challengers,' 15 movies you need to stream right now
- Voting technology firm, conservative outlet reach settlement in 2020 election defamation case
- Sam Taylor
- Lady Gaga uncorks big band classics, her finest moment yet on 'Joker 2' album 'Harlequin'
- Fed’s favored inflation gauge shows cooling price pressures, clearing way for more rate cuts
- At the New York Film Festival, an art form at play
Recommendation
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
University of Wisconsin fires former porn-making chancellor who wanted stay on as a professor
Falling tree at a Michigan nature center fatally injures a boy who was on a field trip
Titan implosion hearing paints a picture of reckless greed and explorer passion
The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
Georgia-Alabama showdown is why Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck chose college over the NFL
Woman accused of running a high-end brothel network to plead guilty
Macklemore clarifies remark made at pro-Palestine concert in Seattle: 'Sometimes I slip up'