Appeal by representatives of Russian independent editorial boards and human rights organisations

Read the Russian version of the appeal here.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

President of the European Commission

On the 17th of March in Moscow, on the last day of voting in the presidential elections, seven unidentified men in masks without explanation forcefully detained journalist Antonina Favorskaya (Kravtsova) and her colleagues in a café. The next day, Favorskaya was sentenced to 10 days in jail for alleged “disobedience and resistance to police”.

After her detention, Favorskaya was brought home under guard for a house search and then interrogated as a suspect in a criminal case of her involvement in the “extremist group” — Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF). She was placed in pre-trial detention pending trial, facing up to 6 years in prison. On the 28th of March court decided that she is to remain in custody until the 28th of May.

House searches related to the “extremist group” case also targeted photographer Alexandra Astakhova and journalist Anastasia Musatova. They had come to the detention facility to meet Favorskaya after she completed her administrative arrest and were also unjustly detained there. Astakhova and Musatova are being treated as witnesses in the case.

We call on the international community to pay close attention to this situation as it signals a further deterioration of anti-democratic regime in Russia.

Russia has long been known for the prosecution of journalists, human rights activist, oppositional politicians and regular people for having an opinion and sharing it. However, Favorskaya case shows that now even journalistic work itself on the issues sensitive for the regime, is perceived to be a criminal activity.

A few months ago the same red line was crossed with Aleksey Navalny’s lawyers V. Kobzev, A. Liptzer, I. Sergunina, O. Mikhailova, when acting as his defense was seen as being a member of an “extremist group”.

The situation highlights the new dark turn of the anti-democratic regime in Russia, where now not only opposition politicians but also their lawyers and journalists covering sensitive topics are being targeted.

The broad range of individuals facing persecution reflects the arbitrary, widespread and systematic repressions across Russia, characterized by cruelty and disregard for individual rights at every stage: from arrest to trial.

Those prosecuted come from different walks of life and belong to different ethnic groups. Many experience tremendous pressure, some are subjected to torture, and most don’t have access to real defense.

Symptomatic of the state of Russian law-enforcement was the very public torturing of the suspects arrested on the possible involvement in the terrorist attack in Moscow’s Krokus City Hall. Those unlawful acts of torture were not condemned by the Russian authorities.

The work of independent human rights activists, lawyers and journalists in Russia, the latter covering protests and court hearings, allows us to have the understanding of what’s going on inside the country. This work is important for people in Russia itself, as well as for global actors and decision-makers, responsible for devising Russia-related strategies.

At the same time, human rights activity and journalistic work in Russia carry huge risks. Often those risks are materialized very suddenly, leaving no chance for emergency help or evacuation.

There is no doubt that Antonina Favorskaya’s  prosecution is directly connected to her journalistic work, as part of which she regularly covered Alexey Navalny’s court hearings. She also made a report from the city of Harp, where the penal colony, in which Aleksey Navalny was kept and died, is located.

On the 15th of  February Favorskaya recorded the last video of Alexey Navalny in which he was alive and well.

After the murder of Aleksey Navalny Favorskaya made daily photo reports from Navalny’s grave site, including the day of her arrest. She also covered many hearings of political cases across Russia. Her reports were regularly used by independent media outlets.

This group statement calls on the international community to pay close attention to the alarming situation in Russia, where the crackdown on journalists, human rights activists and ordinary citizens is intensifying. Independent media and civil society are crucial in providing accurate information to the public and the world about the ongoing events in Russia.

The signatories urge democratic nations and intergovernmental bodies with real authority to:

 • Support the demand of Russian human rights organizations and independent news outlets to stop persecuting journalists and release Antonina Favorskaya and other persecuted journalists.

 • Consider expanding emergency evacuation and support programs for journalists, volunteers, and employees of Russian independent media, as well as human rights defenders.

 • Increase diplomatic efforts to prevent the proliferation of repressive practices in Russia and to secure the release of hostages and political prisoners in Russian prisons.

Respectfully and with hope the group statement is signed by representatives of various independent media outlets, human rights organizations, and individual activists.

Editorial team of “SOTAvision”;

Editorial team of “Mediazona”;

Editorial team of “The Agency”;

Editorial team of TV channel “Rain”;

Russian editorial team of Deutsche Welle;

Editorial team of SVTV NEWS;

Editorial team of The Insider;

Editorial team of ASTRA;

Editorial team of “Skat Media”;

Editorial team of “Radio Sakharov”;

Editorial team of “Pskov Gubernia”;

Editorial team of “It Will Work Out”;

Independent human rights project “Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial”;

Human rights project “First Department”;

Human rights project Avtozak LIVE;

Civil human rights project “For Human Rights”;

Foundation “Center for the Protection of Media Rights”;

Committee “Civic Assistance”;

Russian feminist organization “SHE”;

Centre de la protection internationale;

Alexandra Ageeva, founder of “SOTAvision”;

Dmitry Muratov, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, one of the founders of “Novaya Gazeta”;

Sergey Babinets, head of the MROO “Team Against Torture”;

Anastasia Burakova, founder of “Ark”;

Mikhail Svetov, founder of SVTV NEWS;

Mikhail Shubin, editor-in-chief of “OVD-Info”.

Sergey Smirnov, editor-in-chief of “Mediazona”;

Taisiya Bekbulatova, editor-in-chief of “Holod”;

Oleg Grigorenko, editor-in-chief of “7×7”;

Evgenia Albats, editor-in-chief of The New Times portal;

Pavel Kanygin, editor-in-chief of the project “To Be Continued”;

Kirill Martynov, editor-in-chief of “Novaya Gazeta Europe”;

Dmitry Kolezev, editor-in-chief of “Republic”, member of the Redkollegiya award council;

Anastasia Chumakova, editor-in-chief of ASTRA;

Maxim Glikin, editor-in-chief of “We Can Explain”;

Lev Gyammer, editor-in-chief of “Skat Media”;

Mark Nebesny, editor-in-chief of “Free Media”;

Alexey Tupitsin, human rights activist, head of the portal “Ust-Kut 24”;

Alexey Razorenov, head of the information group “Media-SPb”, founder of lenizdat.ru, mr7.ru, zaks.ru;

Maxim Kondratyev, human rights activist;

Vadim Rodionov, founder of “And Graham Rang Out”;

Danil Belyakov, editor-in-chief of “Resonance”;

Alexander Shurshev, editor-in-chief of “Chronicles.Media”;

Ilya Shumanov, director of “Transparency International Russia”;

Mikhail Danilovich, director of the magazine “New Tab”;

Konstantin Vorovich, editorial director of the magazine “Discourse”;

Grigory Pasko, director of the “Investigative Journalists’ Fellowship — 19/29 Foundation”;

Elena Kostyuchenko, journalist;

Svetlana Reiter, journalist of “Meduza”;

Ekaterina Kotrikadze, journalist of “Rain”;

Mikhail Fishman, journalist of “Rain”.

Anastasia Lotareva, journalist;

Lev Ponomarev, human rights activist;

Alexander Plyushchev, journalist;

Ilya Azar, special correspondent for “Novaya Gazeta Europe”;

Ilya Shepelin, journalist;

Irina Pankratova, journalist at The Bell;

Artemy Troitsky, journalist;

Irina Babloyan, journalist at “Echo”;

Petr Kozlov, correspondent for The Moscow Times;

Anastasia Krasilnikova, journalist at “Sever.Realii”;

Alexander Amzin, publisher of the email newsletter “Signal”;

Sophia Groysman, Nieman Foundation fellow at Harvard, co-author of the podcast “Hello, You Are a Foreign Agent”;

Sergey Lebedenko, journalist at “Rain”;

Valeria Ratnikova, journalist at “Rain”;

Ekaterina Lobanovskaya, chief editor of the news department at “7×7”;

Maxim Polyakov, journalist at “7×7”;

Marina Muratova, journalist at “Khodorkovsky LIVE”;

Renat Davletgildeev, journalist at “Khodorkovsky LIVE” and “We Can Explain”;

Ilya Davlyatchin, journalist at “We Can Explain”;

Maria Volokh, journalist at “We Can Explain”;

Mikhail Lebedev, journalist at SOTAvision;

Maria Balandina, journalist at SOTAvision;

Timofey Ilyushin, journalist at SOTAvision;

Isabella Hoyer, journalist at SOTAvision;

Asya Mironova, journalist at SOTAvision;

Vyacheslav Tikhonov, journalist at SOTAvision.

Natalia Kholmanova, journalist at SOTAvision;

Ksenia Tamurka, journalist at SOTAvision;

Maxim Litvinchuk, journalist at SOTAvision;

Ilya Makarov, journalist at SOTAvision;

Alipat Sultanbegova, journalist at SOTAvision;

Marina Kiryunina, journalist at “Holod”;

Sophia Volyanova, journalist at “Holod”;

Yulia Selikhova, journalist at “Holod”;

Timur Olevsky, journalist at The Insider;

Lika Platchenko, journalist at The Insider;

Daria Nilova, journalist at The Insider;

Nina Avdeenko, journalist at The Insider;

Ksenia Larina, journalist at The Insider;

Sergey Panov, journalist at The Insider;

Yury Bershidsky, journalist at The Insider;

Ilya Barabanov, journalist;

Maria Borzunova, journalist;

Dmitry Zair-Bek, human rights activist;

Anna Rivina, human rights activist, candidate of legal sciences;

Alesya Marokhovskaya, journalist at “Important Stories”;

Ekaterina Alexander, journalist at “Important Stories”;

Yulia Starostina, journalist at “Important Stories”;

Yuri Belyat, head of the information service at “Khodorkovsky LIVE”;

Anastasia Goft, journalist at “Khodorkovsky LIVE”;

Kirill Sedov, journalist at “Khodorkovsky LIVE”;

Ivan Bazanov, journalist.

Grigory Durnovo, editor;

Olga Kvi, human rights activist;

Anna Sliva, journalist;

Alexey Strelnikov, journalist at Deutsche Welle;

Alexey Voloshinov, journalist at Deutsche Welle;

Yaroslav Rasputin, journalist at “Guys PLUS”;

Ivan Lyubimov, human rights activist at Letters of Freedom;

Ivan Kozlov, journalist at “New Tab”;

Alexandra Simutina, SMM editor at “New Tab” and “NeMoscow Speaks”;

Nikita Parmyonov, journalist at “Ashes”;

El Sepulka, journalist at “Women’s Truth”;

Solomon Ginzburg, human rights activist;

Victoria Litvin, journalist;

Azgar Ishkildin, journalist;

Galina Sidorova, journalist at the “Investigative Journalists’ Fellowship — 19/29 Foundation”;

Nikita Velichko, journalist;

Marina-Maya Govzman, journalist at “OVD-Info”;

Andrey Yumashev, human rights activist at “Advocate’s Office”;

Dmitry Kozhurin, journalist at “Current Time”;

Irina Snegovskaya, journalist at “Current Time”;

Nailya Mullaeva, Kazan journalist;

Elizaveta Antonova, journalist at “Meduza”;

Evgeny Feldman, journalist at “Meduza”;

Petr Sapozhnikov, journalist at “Meduza”;

Kirill Ishutin, editor at “Dovod”;

Ilya Kosygin, journalist at “Dovod”.

Margarita Loginova, journalist at “Verstka”;

Maria Lisitsyna, journalist at RBC;

Alena Kuzminykh, journalist at “Mentorship”;

Maria Litvinova, journalist;

Maxim Petrovsky, journalist at “Vector”;

Semyon Kochkin, journalist at “Angry Chuvashia”;

Artem Filatov, journalist at “Experience of Freedom”;

Artur Ziganshin, journalist at Equality Media;

Daria Gorchakova, human rights activist at Letters of Freedom;

Maxim Kuzakhmetov, journalist at “Ingria Without Borders”;

Alexey Malov, journalist at “Pskov Gubernia”;

Artur Astafyev, journalist at “Radio Liberty” and other publications;

Stepan Botaryov, journalist at Kit;

Nadezhda Pruseneova, journalist at “Novaya Gazeta”;

Andrey Karev, journalist at “Novaya Gazeta”;

Nikolay Ovchinnikov, journalist at “Wave Latvia”;

Vladlen Kerimov, journalist at BBC;

Daria Kornilova, journalist at “For Human Rights”;

Andrey Yeremeyev, human rights activist at “ROSshtraf”;

Vitaly Soldatskikh, journalist at “The Project”;

Dmitry Sukharev, journalist at “System”;

Maria Chernykh, journalist at “Siren”;

Alexander Podrabinek, journalist at “Radio Liberty”;

Lev Kadik, journalist at Delfi.lv;

Georgy Chetemirov, journalist at The Independent Barents Observer;

Alexandra Tkach, human rights activist at FreeRussians.

Vyacheslav Yashchenko, journalist at IA “Caucasian Knot”;

Kristina Gukova, journalist at “Novaya Gazeta Europe”;

Sophia Kanevskaya, journalist at “Novaya Gazeta Europe”;

Elizaveta Kirpanova, journalist at “Novaya Gazeta Europe”;

Alexander Sidorov, journalist at “Novaya Gazeta Europe”;

Grigory Sverdlov, human rights activist at “Go to the Forest”;

Dmitry Shoda, journalist at “Voice of America”;

Anastasia Shtelwag, journalist at RusNews;

Daria Rush, journalist at “Groza”;

Igor Ozerov, journalist at IA “Baikal Media Consulting”;

Victoria Safronova, journalist at “Russian BBC Service”;

Ekaterina Belyankina, journalist at “Activatica”;

Alexander Shabanov, journalist at “Rosderzhava”;

Roman Korolev, journalist at “Gorky”;

Avel Rodionov, journalist at “Logic of Progress”;

Olga Proskurnina, editor-in-chief of “Money” and “Culture Department” magazines at Republic, mentor for educational projects “On the Edge” and “Mentorship”;

Nikita Zolotarev, journalist at Republic;

Dmitry Glinsky, human rights activist at the Russian-Speaking Community Council in New York;

Irina Gaisina, deputy of the Municipal Council of Vladimirsky District, St. Petersburg;

Julian Schilling, journalist for the Telegram channel “Art and Current Affairs”;

Filipp Dzyadko, journalist for the Telegram channel “Radio Filipp Dzyadko”;

Valery Potashov, journalist for the Telegram channel “From Karelia with Freedom”;

Yegor Yershov, journalist for the Telegram channel “Yershovisms”;

Raushan Valiullin, chairman of the regional branch in Tatarstan of the interregional trade union “Alliance of Teachers”;

Vladislav Inozemtsev, journalist at MEMRI Institute.

Alexey Bachinsky, journalist at “Kasparov.Ru”;

Dmitry Zuev, editor of “Resonance”;

Yulia Sapronova, chief editor at Forbes;

Ekaterina Khabidulina, journalist at Forbes;

Vasilisa Ostapenko, journalist at “Vot Tak”;

Ira Novik, journalist at “Vot Tak”;

Anastasia Panchenko, journalist at “Omsk Civil Association”;

Richard Roman King, human rights activist at “Omsk Civil Association”;

Sergey Sokolov, human rights activist, former municipal deputy;

Andrey Danilov, human rights activist at ICIPR;

Evgeny Domozhirov, human rights activist at Fundacja OSTMOST;

Dmitry Selyansky, human rights activist;

Irina Alleman, journalist at “Popular Politics”;

Adda Ald, human rights activist, founder of the crisis center “Fortress”;

Vera Fedorova, journalist at WaterSkiWorld.ru;

Maria Lekukh, journalist at Port;

Danila Kharchenko, journalist at “Revelations of Mineralnye Vody”;

Sergey Trush, journalist at the YouTube channel “Process Logic”;

Daria Litvishko, journalist at the YouTube channel “RZVRT”;

Oleg Aliev, journalist at the YouTube channel “Opposition Pearls”;

Vladimir Arsentyev, journalist at AllRus.News;

Victoria Tikhomirova, literary editor at the Center of Culture “Rodina” (Anapa);

Maxim Medvedev, journalist at PROfashion;

Yury Dzhibladze, member of the Russian Human Rights Council;

Pavel Kudyukin, human rights activist, co-chairman of the union “University Solidarity”;

Elena Valter, human rights activist at the Bar Association of St. Petersburg.

Anastasia Benidze, human rights activist, member of the Council of the Union “Committee 2024”;

Ilya Frantsuzov, journalist at News-Opposition;

Paolo Pergolizzi, journalist at Reggio Sera;

Rosalba Reggio, journalist at Il Sole 24 Ore;

Franc Smidt, journalist at EU-OBJECTIVE;

Yusuf Ruzimuradov, journalist at Media Hub Riga;

Artem Tyurin, human rights activist at Free Russia Foundation;

Alena Sadovskaya, journalist;

Nadezhda Mikaelyan, journalist;

Anastasia Zhvik, journalist;

Varuzhan Sargsyan, journalist;

Yury Poletaev, journalist;

Peter Weiler, journalist;

Evgenia Ldova, human rights activist;

Elena Barysheva, journalist;

Victoria Safronova, journalist;

Gleb Golod, journalist;

Daria Motora, journalist;

Valeria Sergeeva, journalist;

Nikon Kovalev, journalist;

Andrey Afanasyev, journalist;

Polina Zvezdina, journalist;

Anna Matveeva, journalist;

Margarita Alyokhina, journalist;

Vasily Seliverstov, journalist;

Alexey Krizhevsky, journalist.

Evgeny Gindilis, producer;

Elena Lukyanova, lawyer;

Alexander Litoy, journalist;

Anastasia Platonova, journalist;

Maria Bykova, journalist;

Andrey Rebrov, journalist;

Andrey Sinitsyn, journalist;

Alexey Popkov, journalist;

Roman Olegov, journalist;

Viktor Ovsyukov, journalist;

Alexandra Kozicheva, human rights activist;

Artem Bolgar, human rights activist;

Inna Karezina, observer trainer;

Lutz Reiche, journalist;

Dinar Idrisov, human rights activist;

Michael Weinreich, human rights activist;

Tatyana Kolobakina, journalist;

Andrey Novashov, journalist;

Oleg Basalin, journalist;

Mumin Shakirov, journalist;

Tatyana Ukolova, journalist;

Karinna Moskalenko, lawyer, human rights activist;

Yusuf Ruzimuradov, journalist, human rights activist;

Alexander Chernykh, journalist;

Rosenberg Nikita, human rights activist;

Konstantin Seliverstov, film director.

Darya Korsunskaya, journalist;

Lilian Rubtsova, journalist;

Alexey Starostin, journalist;

Marta Allevato, journalist;

Antonella Scott, journalist;

Lucia Sgueglia, journalist;

Silvia Camisasca, journalist;

Claude Leroy, journalist;

Maria Mikaelyan, journalist;

Elena Považanová, journalist;

Lika Kedrinskaya, journalist;

Yulia Shestakova, journalist;

Aydar Akhmadiev, journalist;

Katerina Maksimova, journalist;

Ruslan Totrov, journalist;

Ekaterina Mayakovskaya, journalist;

Arseniy Bashkarev, journalist;

Elio Ramazza, human rights activist;

Anastasia Khavanskaya, lawyer;

Alexey Tsvetkov, lawyer;

Vladimir Sukhov, human rights activist;

Maria Boriskina, human rights activist;

Nadezhda Ivanova, human rights activist;

Natalya Rezontova, journalist;

Nikita Safronov, journalist;

Natalia Savoskina, journalist;

Maria Gabisova, journalist;

Alexander Gorokhov, journalist;

Maria Ryabikova, journalist;

Anton Naumlyuk, journalist;

Anna Yuzhakova, journalist.