Two journalists associated with the late Kremlin critic, Alexei Navalny, have been detained in Russia, intensifying the clampdown on Navalny’s allies.
What Happened: Russian police apprehended Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin on charges of association with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation’s YouTube channel, which the state has labeled as an “extremist” organization, Financial Times reported on Monday.
Gabov, acknowledged by a Moscow court as a producer for Reuters, was seized in a raid at his Moscow residence. Reuters has not yet responded to his arrest. Karelin, a Russian-Israeli dual citizen, was detained in Murmansk, Russia. He has previously served as a video journalist for the Associated Press and German outlet Deutsche Welle.
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Both Gabov and Karelin have refuted the extremism charges. This clampdown is a part of the Kremlin’s continued efforts to suppress individuals associated with Navalny’s organization, even post his death in prison earlier this year.
The Russian government’s suppression has also affected independent media outlets, with many ceasing operations in the country following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Why It Matters: The arrest of the journalists is the latest episode in a series of events following Navalny’s death. U.S. intelligence agencies suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not have directly orchestrated Navalny’s death, adding a new layer of complexity to the situation.
Recently, a group of hackers reportedly breached the Russian prison system's database in retaliation for Navalny’s death. The hackers, a mix of nationalities including Russian expatriates and Ukrainians, accessed a computer network connected to Russia's prison system and allegedly stole a database containing information on hundreds of thousands of Russian prisoners and their relatives and contacts.
Photo by Michał Siergiejevicz on Wikimedia Commons
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