Russian Journalists Sentenced for Extremism Linked to Navalny

A Russian court has sentenced four journalists, Antonina Favorskaya, Sergey Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artem Kriger, to five and a half years in prison each on charges of extremism due to their alleged ties with the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). The journalists, who deny the charges, were accused of producing content for Navalny-affiliated YouTube channels, deemed extremist by the Kremlin. This trial, conducted behind closed doors, is part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Russia following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The sentencing highlights increasing pressure on independent media and critics of President Vladimir Putin. Navalny, a prominent critic of the Kremlin, was serving a 19-year sentence when he died under suspicious circumstances in 2024. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, continues to accuse the Russian government of responsibility for his death.