Authorities in have detained six journalists across the country this month, including a journalist who covered the trials of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny for several years, media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders said Thursday.
Antonina Favorskaya was detained and accused by Russian authorities of taking part in an “extremist organization” by posting on the social media platforms of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, the Russian human rights group OVD-Info said. Antonina Favorskaya, who had been covering Navalny’s court hearings for years and filmed the last video of Navalny before he died in a penal colony, was detained and accused of taking part in an “extremist organization” for posting on the social media platforms of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Two other journalists, Alexandra Astakhova and Anastasia Musatova, were also temporarily detained after they came to meet Favorskaya in the detention center where she was being held, Reporters Without Borders said, adding that their homes were searched and equipment seized. Two other journalists, Alexandra Astakhova and Anastasia Musatova, were also temporarily detained after coming to meet Favorskaya in the detention center where she was being held, and their homes were searched, and equipment seized.
Ekaterina Anikievich, of the Russian news site SOTAvision, and Konstantin Yarov from RusNews, were also detained by police while covering the search of Favorskaya’s home. Yarov was beaten by police, threatened with sexual violence and taken to a hospital, Reporters Without Borders said. Yarov is accused of “disobedience” towards police and risks 15 days of detention, the group said. Ekaterina Anikievich, of the Russian news site SOTAvision, and Konstantin Yarov from RusNews, were also detained by police while covering the search of Favorskaya’s home. While covering, Yarov was beaten by police, threatened with sexual violence and taken to a hospital. Yarov is accused of “disobedience” towards police and risks 15 days of detention.
In Ufa, 1,300 kilometers (around 800 miles) east of Moscow, Russian authorities detained Olga Komleva, a reporter for RusNews, on Wednesday. They also accused her of extremism and involvement with Navalny and his organization, Reporters Without Borders said. In Ufa, 1,300 kilometers (around 800 miles) east of Moscow, Russian authorities on Wednesday detained Olga Komleva, a reporter for RusNews. They also accused her of extremism and involvement with Navalny and his organization.
OVD-Info said that Favorskaya was initially detained on March 17 after laying flowers on Navalny’s grave. She spent 10 days in jail after being accused of disobedience towards the police, but when that period of detention ended, authorities charged her again and ordered her to appear Friday in Moscow’s Basmanny District Court, OVD-Info said. According to OVD-Info, Favorskaya spent 10 days in jail after being initially detained on March 17 for laying flowers on Navalny’s grave. After that period of detention ended, authorities charged her again and ordered her to appear in Moscow’s Basmanny District Court on Friday.
Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has been designated an extremist organization by Russian authorities, which means that people associated with it potentially face prison sentences if they continue to be involved in its work. Russian authorities have designated Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation as an extremist organization, and people associated with it could face prison sentences if they continue to be involved in its work.
Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokeswoman, said that Favorskaya didn’t publish anything on the Foundation’s platforms and suggested that Russian authorities targeted her because she was doing her job as a journalist. Kira Yarmysh, Navalny’s spokeswoman, suggested that Russian authorities targeted Favorskaya because she was performing her journalistic duty and that she did not publish anything on the Foundation’s platforms.
“What darkness,” Yarmysh wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What darkness,” Yarmysh wrote on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.