2 Russian journalists are accused of ‘extremism’ for allegedly working for the Navalny group

A journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, Sergei Mingazov, has been arrested on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military, his lawyer said on Friday.

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Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing material for a YouTube channel of Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption, which has been banned by Russian authorities. Navalny died in a penal colony in the Arctic in February.

Gabov, who was detained in Moscow, was a freelance producer who had worked for several organizations, the court’s press service said.

Karelin, 41, has worked for a number of media outlets, including the Associated Press. He was a cameraman for the German media outlet Deutsche Welle until the Kremlin banned it from operating in Russia in February 2022.

“The Associated Press is deeply concerned about the detention of Russian video journalist Sergei Karelin,” the AP said in a statement. “We are looking for additional information.”

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Vladimir Putin deploys troops near the Finnish border and warns that Russia is ‘ready’ for nuclear war

Vladimir Putin deploys troops near the Finnish border and warns that Russia is ‘ready’ for nuclear war

Russia’s crackdown on dissent has targeted opposition figures, journalists, activists, members of the LGBTQ community and ordinary Russians who criticize the Kremlin. A number of journalists have been jailed for their reporting on Navalny, including Antonina Favorskaya, who will remain in pre-trial detention until at least May 28 after a hearing last month.

Favorskaya was arrested by Russian authorities and accused of participating in an “extremist organization” by posting messages on Navalny’s Foundation social media platforms. She covered Navalny’s hearings for years and filmed Navalny’s last video before he died in the penal colony.

Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokeswoman, said Favorskaya had not published anything on the Foundation’s platforms and suggested that Russian authorities had targeted her for doing her job as a journalist.

Evan Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American reporter for The Wall Street Journal, is awaiting trial on espionage charges in Moscow’s infamous Lefortovo prison. Both Gershkovich and his employer have vehemently denied the allegations.

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Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 while on a reporting trip and spent more than a year in prison; Authorities have not detailed what evidence they have to support the spying allegations.

The US government has wrongfully detained Gershkovich, with officials accusing Moscow of using the journalist as a pawn for political purposes.

The Russian government has also cracked down on opposition figures. A prominent activist, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years.