Moscow court orders preventive detention for journalist Antonina Favorskaya
Moscow, Russia – A Moscow court has ordered preventive detention against journalist Antonina Favorskaya, of the independent Russian media Sota Vision, for her alleged participation in an extremist organization linked to the Anti-Corruption Foundation led by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Judge Elena Lenskaya of Moscow’s Basmanny Court ruled in a closed-door session that Favorskaya will be held in preventive detention until May 28, as reported by the TASS news agency.
Favorskaya was arrested shortly after leaving Sakharovo prison, where she had spent ten days in administrative arrest for charges of police disobedience during the demonstrations that followed Navalny’s death. She has been charged under article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code. In connection with the same case, searches were conducted at her home and the homes of two other journalists, Alexandra Astakhova and Anastasia Musatova.
Favorskaya had covered all of Navalny’s trials and had recorded the last video in which he appeared before his death in a remote Arctic prison in February while serving a sentence for extremism. A renowned journalist, her work has been closely tied to the developments surrounding Navalny and the Anti-Corruption Foundation. The arrest and detention of Favorskaya have raised concerns about press freedom and political dissent in Russia.