Journalists arrested in Russia

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Two Russian journalists have been arrested in Russia on suspicion of “extremism”.

They are accused of working for a group funded by recently deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Konstantin Gabov is an independent producer and worked, among other things, for the Reuters news agency, according to the court. He was arrested in the Russian capital, Moscow.

Sergei Karelin holds dual Israeli and Russian citizenship, and was arrested in the Murmansk region in northern Russia. He is a video journalist and has worked for Germany's Deutsche Welle and the AP news agency, among others.

“The Associated Press (AP) is deeply concerned about the arrest of Russian video journalist Sergei Karelin,” the news agency said in a statement.

Gabov and Karlin are accused of preparing materials for a YouTube channel run by the Alexei Navalny Anti-Corruption Foundation.

Alexei Navalny died under mysterious circumstances in an Arctic penal colony in February.

The two journalists risk imprisonment for between two and six years on charges of “participation in an extremist organization.” They deny the accusations against them.

Russia's already limited media freedom was further tightened when harsh new laws were introduced following the all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Gabov and Karlin are two of the journalists who have since been detained.