Russian district attorneys are looking for to sentence four journalists to 5 years and 11 months in prison each on charges of extremism over supposed ties to the late opposition figure Alexei Navalny, the independent news website Mediazonareported Thursday.Antonina Favorskaya, Konstantin Gabov, Sergei Karelin and Artyom Kriger, who have all reported on Navalny as reporters, were apprehended last spring and summer on charges of taking part in an extremist neighborhood.
The reporters are accused of gathering product, preparing and modifying videos for Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and the NavalnyLIVE YouTube channel.Their trial, whichopened in October, is being held behind closed doors at the demand of prosecutors.Favorskaya and Krigers employer, the independent news outlet SOTAvision, has repeatedly denied the accusations against them, saying neither reporter had actually ever worked for Navalnys organizations.Gabov supposedly worked for Reuters and the Russian tv channels Moskva 24 and MIR, as well as the Belarusian news agency Belsat.
Karelin has done work for the Associated Press.Favorskaya had covered Navalnys court hearings and shot the last recognized video of the Kremlin critic before his Feb.
16, 2024, death in an Arctic penal nest.
He was serving a 19-year jail sentence for extremism when he died under unclear circumstances.Russian authorities banned Navalnys activist and political groups including FBK as extremist in 2021, putting staff members, volunteers and supporters at threat of criminal prosecution.In January, three former Navalny journalists weresentenced to prison for as much as five and a half years on the same charges of taking part in extremist activity.