Two Russian journalists have been arrested on charges of "extremism" and ordered by the country's courts to remain in custody pending an investigation and trial on allegations they worked for a group founded by the late Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny.
Konstantin Gabov and Sergei Karelin have denied the charges, for which they will be detained for at least two months before their trials begin. According to the Russian courts, they each face a minimum of two years in prison and a maximum of six years for alleged "participation in an extremist organization."
The two are the latest journalists arrested amid a Russian government crackdown on dissent and independent media that has intensified since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. The Russian government has passed laws that criminalize false information about the military or statements that are deemed to discredit the military, effectively banning any criticism of the war in Ukraine or statements that deviate from the official narrative.
Sergei Mingazov, a journalist for the Russian edition of Forbes magazine, was detained on charges of spreading false information about the Russian military, his lawyer said on Friday.
Gabov and Karelin are accused of preparing material for a YouTube channel run by Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is banned by Russian authorities. Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony in February.
Gabov, who was detained in Moscow, was a freelance producer who worked for numerous organizations, including Reuters, according to the Russian court's press service.
Karelin, who has dual citizenship in Israel, was arrested Friday evening in Russia's northern Murmansk region.
Karelin, 41, worked for a number of media outlets, including the Associated Press. He was a videographer for the German media outlet Deutsche Welle until the Kremlin banned the media outlet from operating in Russia in February 2022.
"The Associated Press is deeply troubled by the detention of Russian journalist Sergei Karelin," the news agency said in a statement. "We are seeking further information."/BGNES
