(Moscow) A Russian journalist collaborating with several media outlets including the Reuters agency was placed in pre-trial detention for “extremism”, accused of having participated in the creation of videos for the YouTube channel of the team of the late opponent Alexeï Navalny, Moscow courts announced on Saturday.
Konstantin Gabov was detained until at least June 27 while awaiting trial, the courts’ press service said on Telegram.
This journalist collaborated with various press companies, including the Russian television channels Moskva 24 and MIR and the Belarusian agency Belsat, according to Russian media.
Konstantin Gabov is “an independent producer who has worked occasionally for the Reuters team in Moscow,” a source close to the international press agency also told AFP.
Russian justice accuses him of having, according to it, “participated in the preparation of photos and videos intended to be published on the NavalnyLIVE YouTube channel”, indicated the courts, in reference to one of the platforms used by the team of opponent Alexeï Navalny.
Alexeï Navalny, the bête noire of Vladimir Putin, died in February in murky circumstances in an Arctic prison. His movement has been classified as “extremist” by the courts, which puts his collaborators and supporters at risk of prosecution.
Most of the deceased opponent’s associates are in exile abroad, others have received long prison sentences.
At the end of March, a photojournalist, Antonina Kravtsova, who worked under the name Antonina Favorskaïa, was also detained on charges of “extremism”.
She very regularly covered the trials of Alexei Navalny for SOTAvision, one of the last media outlets documenting political repression from Russia, classified as a “foreign agent” by the Russian authorities.
Several other journalists are in detention in Russia, including the American Evan Gershkovich, targeted by accusations of “espionage” which he rejects, as do his media, his relatives and the American authorities.
A Russian-American journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), has also been in detention since October 2023 for not having registered as a “foreign agent” as ‘demand the authorities.