The Russian government has escalated its crackdown on figures associated with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, arresting two more journalists accused of working with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Konstantin Gabov, a freelance producer who has worked for Reuters, and Sergey Karelin, a Russian-Israeli dual citizen who was a cameraman for the Associated Press and Deutsche Welle, were both detained this week.
Russian courts have ordered them held in custody for at least two months pending investigation and potential trials on charges of “participation in an extremist organization.” They face between 2-6 years in prison if convicted.
The arrests come amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent and independent media in Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. New laws have essentially criminalized any criticism of the military action.
Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing materials for Navalny’s YouTube channel before he died in a penal colony in February. Despite Navalny’s passing, authorities have continued targeting anyone linked to his opposition movement, which was branded “extremist.”
Their arrests follow the recent detention of journalist Antonina Favorskaya, who covered Navalny’s trials, on similar “extremism” charges related to posting on Navalny’s social media.
Media outlets like the AP have condemned the arrests, expressing concern over the treatment of journalists in Russia. An American reporter, Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal, also remains jailed on dubious espionage charges.
Human rights groups have decried the overall crackdown as a broad attack on free speech and political dissent in Russia. With most independent media forced to shut down, the arrests speak volumes of the increasing perils for any remaining journalists unwilling to toe the Kremlin line.
