(15 Apr 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
++PLEASE NOTE: AP IS OPERATING IN RUSSIA ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN RESTRICTIONS ON ALL REPORTING RELATED TO THE ONGOING MILITARY OPERATION IN UKRAINE++
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Moscow, Russia – 15 April 2025
1. Russian journalists (from left to right) Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, Antonina Favorskaya and Artyom Kriger in defendant’s box
2. Close up of photographer
3. Favorskaya and Kriger showing handcuffs
4. Various of journalists in the defendant’s box
5. Wide of crowd outside court building
6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Yelena Sheremetyeva, Artyom Kriger’s lawyer:
“The defense of Artyom Kriger categorically disagrees with the verdict, the verdict is illegal, unfair, the preliminary investigation did not present a single piece of evidence, reliable evidence, confirming the guilt of my client. Therefore, we intend to appeal the verdict.”
7. Mid of media, pan to Sheremetyeva UPSOUND (Russian) Yelena Sheremetyeva, Artyom Kriger’s lawyer:
“Thank you for your support, because at every court hearing you came and supported the guys and this gave them strength and encouragement, so I thank you all.”
8. Mid of lawyers of Konstantin Gabov and Sergei Karelin, media
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Irina Biryukova, Konstantin Gabov’s lawyer:
“The guys are holding up well. We all talked to them after the terms were requested, they were a little taken aback at first, of course, but today they were happy that so many people came, and they asked us at every hearing if many people came, if there was a lot of support. They saw you all today. Thank you very much for your support. Please write letters, especially now, after the verdict."
10. Mid of crowd outside court
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Irina Biryukova, Konstantin Gabov’s lawyer:
“All of us (lawyers) will definitely file complaints, there is no talk about it at all, because the profession of a journalist in itself is not extremism. And based on the case materials that are available, I will say that in our opinion, there is no evidence that the guys committed any crimes, or even minor offences.”
12. Pan of lawyers, media applauding, saying UPSOUND (Russian) “Thank you.”
13. Wide of police truck outside court
STORYLINE:
A Russian court on Tuesday convicted four journalists of extremism for working for an anti-corruption group founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny and sentenced them to 5 1/2 years in prison each.
Antonina Favorskaya, Kostantin Gabov, Sergey Karelin and Artyom Kriger were found guilty of involvement with a group that had been labeled as extremist. All four had maintained their innocence, arguing they were being prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists.
Their lawyers called the verdict illegal and unfair and stated that they will appeal it.
“The profession of a journalist in itself is not extremism. And based on the case materials that are available, I will say that in our opinion, there is no evidence that the guys committed any crimes, or even minor offences,” one of the lawyers said.
The closed-door trial was part of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent that has reached an unprecedented scale after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
The authorities have targeted opposition figures, independent journalists, rights activists and ordinary Russians critical of the Kremlin with prosecution, jailing hundreds and prompting thousands to flee the country.
“Don’t despair guys, sooner or later it will end and those who delivered the sentence will go behind bars,” Kriger said after the verdict.
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