Russia detained two more journalists, accused of working for Navalny’s fund

Two Russian journalists, Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin, were arrested on charges of “extremism”. Local courts ordered them to remain in custody pending an investigation and trial. They allegedly fulfilled the factual essence of “participation in an extremist organization” by working for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

Both journalists have denied the charges and will be held in custody for at least two months before a possible trial. Each of them faces a minimum of two years and a maximum of six years in prison.

Gabov and Karelin are just the latest to be arrested in the Russian government’s crackdown on dissent and independent media, which has intensified since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The Russian government has passed laws criminalizing what it deems to be false information about the military or statements deemed to discredit the military, effectively outlawing any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative.

The latest two arrested are accused of preparing material for a YouTube channel run by Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Fund, which has been outlawed by Russian authorities. Navalny died in February in an Arctic penal colony.

Latest information about Navalny’s death:

Gabov, who was detained in Moscow, is an independent producer who worked for several organizations including Reuters, the court’s press service said. Karelin, a dual Israeli citizen, was detained on Friday evening in the Murmansk region of northern Russia. The 41-year-old journalist has worked for a number of media outlets, including the Associated Press. He was a cameraman for the German media Deutsche Welle until the Kremlin banned him from Russia in February 2022.

“The Associated Press is deeply concerned about the detention of Russian video journalist Sergei Karelin,” said the agency, which reported on the matter. “We are trying to get more information.”

Russia’s crackdown on dissent targets opposition figures, journalists, activists, members of the LGBTQ+ community and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin. A number of journalists have been jailed in connection with reporting on Navalny, including Antonina Favorská, who remains in pre-trial detention until at least May 28 after a hearing last month.