Two Russian journalists were arrested in Russia on charges of "extremism" and last night courts in Moscow and Murmansk ordered them to remain in custody during the investigation and trial on charges of activities for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.
Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin have denied the charges, for which they will be remanded in custody for a minimum of two months pending the start of their trials. The two could receive between two and six years in prison for alleged "participation in an extremist organization".
These are the next media representatives arrested amid the Russian government's crackdown on dissident and independent media, which has intensified since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, AP said. The Russian government has criminalized the publication of false information about the military or statements deemed to discredit the military, effectively banning any criticism of the war in Ukraine or speech that deviates from the official narrative of events.
Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing materials for a YouTube channel. (YouTube) run by Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund, which is banned by Russian authorities. Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February.
Gabov, who was detained in Moscow, is a freelance producer who worked for numerous organizations, including Reuters, the court's press service said. At the moment, the Reuters agency has not commented on the court's decision.
Karelin, who also holds Israeli citizenship, was detained on Friday evening in northern Russia's Murmansk region. He has worked for a number of media outlets, including the Associated Press. He was also a cameraman for the German media "Deutsche Welle", which the Kremlin banned from working in Russia in February 2022.