The judge of the Nagatinsky District Court of Moscow, Natalia Borisenkova, sentenced journalists SOTAvision*** Antonina Favorsky and Artem Krieger, Sergey Karelin, who collaborated with Associated Press, and Konstantin Gabov, who filmed for Reuters, to 5.5 years in prison each, reported a correspondent of "Mediazona"*** from the courtroom. After their release, they will be prohibited from publishing any materials on the internet for three years.
The prosecution requested 5 years and 11 months in prison for them, as well as a five-year ban on internet publications. The maximum term under this article is six years. The journalists are accused under the article of participating in an "extremist" community. According to the investigation, they allegedly provided the FBK with materials from their shootings. Arrests began at the end of March last year. Antonina Favorsky was the first to be detained. She actively covered the case of Alexei Navalny*, attended almost all court sessions, and wrote a report from Harp, where the politician was transferred shortly before his murder. Gabov and Karelin were arrested on April 27. On June 18, Artem Krieger was arrested in Moscow.
The trial of the journalists was held in a closed session allegedly due to threats to the participants in the process, the details of the accusation are unknown because of this, however, as "Mediazona" found out, testimonies in court were given by participants of street surveys published on the channel "Navalny LIVE".
In January, Judge of the Petushki Court of the Vladimir Region, Yulia Shilova, sentenced Alexei Navalny's lawyers to five or more years in a general regime colony in a case of participation in an "extremist community".
* Included in the list of "terrorists and extremists".
** Recognized in Russia as an "extremist" organization.
*** Recognized in Russia as a "foreign agent".
Photo: Mediazona