Russia: Arrest of 65-Year-Old Journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova Latest in Russia's Crackdown on Press Freedom
War correspondent, who has worked for both independent and state outlets, charged with "justifying terrorism" for Telegram post
Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: May 7, 2024Update: August 2, 2024
Women Press Freedom is deeply disturbed by the arrest of Nadezhda Kevorkova, a 65-year-old journalist known for her coverage of the Middle East and the North Caucasus. Kevorkova has been charged with "justifying terrorism" for a post she made on her Telegram channel in 2021 about the Taliban. Journalism is not a criminal act, and reporting on terrorism does not equate to endorsing it. Kevorkova now joins a distressing roster of ten women journalists behind bars in Russia, most of whom have been detained for their reporting on Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine. Like Kevorkova, many face spurious terrorism charges. We urgently call for an immediate cessation of the Kremlin's assault on press freedom, demand the release of Nadezhda Kevorkova, and the dropping of all charges against her.
On May 7, 2024, journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova was arrested in Moscow and ordered to remain in pre-trial detention for two months. Her detention followed a police search of her Moscow apartment.
The well-known war correspondent is facing bogus charges of justifying terrorism for 2021 and 2018 Telegram posts mentioning the Taliban. Women Press Freedom stands with the journalist, who rightfully denies these accusations, with her family and colleagues also maintaining her innocence.
Kevorkova has contributed to both independent (Novaya Gazeta) and state-funded media outlets (RT) in Russia. The war correspondent and filmmaker is known for her coverage of the Middle East and Russia’s North Caucasus. Kevorkova has written several books on Palestine. More recently, she has been covering the Israel-Hamas conflict via Telegram.
In a hearing on June 18, 2024, Kevorkova’s lawyer asked for house arrest due to her ailing health — she suffered a hip fracture in jail — and that she is not a flight risk as her passport has expired. Her defense also presented evidence of the numerous Russian accolades she has received for her reporting as proof of her character. Despite this, Kevorkova's request to be placed under house arrest was denied by the Basmanny Court of Moscow, and her detention was extended for two months.
On August 2, 2024, the court once again ignored the journalist’s pleas of innocence, her pre-trial detention was extended for a further two months.
Women Press Freedom notes that the Kremlin’s assault against journalists within Russia has escalated worryingly since the start of the year. In the last few months, authorities have detained multiple journalists for their alleged connections to the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
In March, Antonina Favorskaya and Olga Komleva were arrested and charged with "extremism" for their reporting on opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Favorskaya, a SOTAVision reporter, was re-arrested after a raid on her home, while Komleva, a RusNews reporter, was taken into custody in Ufa. Both remain in pre-trial detention. In recent weeks, the state has also detained Reuters producer Konstantin Gabov and AP video journalist Sergey Karelin under similar charges.
Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the detention of Nadezhda Kevorkova and the absurd terrorism charges leveled against her. Journalism, a cornerstone of democracy, cannot be equated with terrorism. Kevorkova has dedicated her career to covering extremism and domestic and international conflicts. The decision to target her now, based on purported Telegram posts from years ago, is both alarming and irrational. This incident is just one in a series of assaults on press freedom orchestrated by Putin's regime. As Women Press Freedom has chronicled, the Kremlin persistently targets journalists, both within Russia and beyond its borders, constituting a grave attack on fundamental liberties, including freedom of expression and the pursuit of truth. We adamantly call for an immediate end to Russia's draconian media crackdown and the swift release of Kevorkova and all journalists behind bars in the country.
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