November 26, 2024 - Russia, Chita

Women Press Freedom condemns the unjust conviction of journalist Nika Novak, sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony under the vague charge of “collaborating with a foreign organization.”

Since her secretive detention in December 2023, we have consistently demanded her release.

The freelance RFE/RL correspondent is the first journalist to be convicted under the 2022 law, marking another devastating blow to press freedom in Russia. Novak plans to appeal the conviction.

We call for Novak’s immediate release and an end to the Kremlin's persecution of independent and critical journalists.