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3w ago

Russian Journalists Sentenced to 5-1/2 Years in Closed-Door Extremism Trial

A Moscow court convicted four journalists of extremist charges tied to Navalny-linked groups, marking a significant escalation in Russia's crackdown on dissent.

Four Russian journalists, shown at a court in Moscow, Russia, on October 2, have been sentenced to five years and six months in prison, after they were accused of working for a banned organization linked to Alexey Navalny.
Journalists Konstantin Gabov, Antonina Favorskaya, Artem Kriger and Sergei Karelin, accused of taking part in the activities of an "extremist" organization founded by late opposition politician Alexei Navalny, stand inside an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing in Moscow, Russia October 2, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Overview

  • Four independent journalists—Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artyom Kriger—were sentenced to 5-1/2 years in prison by a Moscow court on April 15, 2025.
  • The journalists were convicted of involvement with an organization linked to late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which authorities have labeled as extremist.
  • The trial, conducted behind closed doors since October 2024, restricted public access and transparency in the judicial process.
  • All four journalists denied the charges, asserting they were targeted for their work in independent journalism rather than any extremist activities.
  • This sentencing is part of a broader, intensifying crackdown on dissent in Russia, which has escalated since Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine beginning in 2022.