Russia jails four journalists for 5.5 years over alleged ties to Navalny's team, including past Reuters and AP contributors

A Moscow court has sentenced four journalists to 5.5 years in prison on charges of participating in an “extremist organization” for their alleged involvement in making YouTube videos for Alexey Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

All four of the journalists — Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artyom Kriger — have denied any connection to the FBK. The trial was held behind closed doors, and details of the case remain unclear.

Gabov was a freelancer who had previously worked with Reuters, and Karelin was a freelance videographer who worked with the Associated Press and Deutsche Welle. Favorskaya and Kriger worked for the Telegram channel Sotavision. It was Favorskaya who filmed the last known video of Navalny alive on February 15, 2024.

Despite the hearing being closed, Mediazona reports that dozens of people gathered outside the courthouse for each session over the past six months to show their support as the journalists were led inside.