Russia Holds Trial for Four Journalists Linked to Navalny Team Behind Closed Doors

By Mark Trevelyan

Four Russian journalists faced trial in Moscow on Wednesday, charged with involvement in an extremist group. Authorities claim they worked for the banned organization of the late dissident Alexei Navalny.

The cases involving Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artem Kriger illustrate the increasingly dangerous environment for journalists in Russia, where press freedom organizations report that many are currently imprisoned.

During roughly 30 minutes of open court proceedings, the judge approved a request from prosecutors to remove the press and spectators for the rest of the trial, citing a letter from the interior ministry’s counter-extremism department alleging that Navalny’s supporters were planning provocations.

Before being expelled from the courtroom, Kriger remarked, "This is just some kind of archaism. This is how they do it in totalitarian regimes."

If convicted, each journalist could face up to six years in prison. They were not permitted to enter pleas in the portion of the hearing that was open to the press.

Prosecutors allege that the journalists created content for the YouTube channel associated with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is categorized as a foreign agent and extremist organization in Russia.

Gabov and Karelin have worked as freelancers for various news outlets. A spokesperson for one news agency stated that Gabov had contributed occasionally between late 2022 and early 2024, commenting that the charges against him are unrelated to his freelance work and that the agency staunchly supports press freedom.

The Associated Press expressed concern following Karelin’s arrest in April, acknowledging its unease regarding his detention.

Favorskaya and Kriger are affiliated with SOTAVision, another independent outlet designated as a foreign agent. Favorskaya recorded Navalny’s last video during a court hearing on February 15, the day prior to his unexpected death in an Arctic penal colony. She was arrested in March, while Kriger was detained in June.

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Russia has ramped up pressure on both domestic and foreign journalists. According to an international press freedom organization, 34 journalists and six other media personnel are currently held in detention within the country.

The Kremlin has refrained from commenting on specific legal cases, maintaining that it is the courts’ responsibility to uphold Russian law. It has characterized Navalny’s supporters as provocateurs intent on inciting unrest and destabilizing the nation.