Russia: Jailed Journalist Olga Komleva Slapped with Additional Criminal Charge for Spreading Military “Fakes”
Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the legal harassment and continued detention of Komleva. She must be freed immediately.
Location: Russia, Moscow
Date: July 23, 2024
Olga Komleva, a reporter and activist from Ufa, is facing mounting legal pressures and accusations. Initially detained in March for her involvement with Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), Komleva now confronts an additional charge of distributing "fakes" about the military. She and her lawyer are set to face trial on these new charges soon, despite having minimal information on the origins of the allegations and a lengthy indictment that was just presented by the prosecutor. Women Press Freedom loudly condemns the escalating persecution of Komleva and is deeply concerned that the result will be a sham trial behind closed doors, lacking transparency and resulting in a lengthy sentence. We demand an end to the Russian court’s mistreatment of journalists, activists, and political opponents. Komleva should be immediately released and, at the very least, be granted a fair trial in an open court with full transparency to ensure her rights are upheld.
On July 23, 2024, following a closed hearing at Basmanny District Court in Moscow, the public learned that detained journalist Olga Komleva is facing more bogus criminal charges.
Two weeks earlier, the Rus News reporter was presented with her final indictment which accuses her of participation in an “extremist” organization – Navalny’s FBK – and a new charge for distributing military "fakes." The reasons for initiating the case under the article on "fakes" about the army are unknown.
Due to the large volume of indictment documents to review, Komleva asked the court for more time to go over case materials. In response, Judge Boris Safarin extended the review period by only one day – until July 26. The judge also ruled to extend Komleva’s pre-trial detention until November 3, 2024.
The Moscow court session was closed to the public following a request from the investigator. The rationale was that other alleged members of the "extremist community" might learn case details.
Olga Komleva previously volunteered at Alexei Navalny's campaign office in Ufa and has faced 18 lawsuits for her activism. Since December 2021, Komleva has been covering major socio-political events in Bashkortostan for the RusNews channel, including protests, public gatherings, and trials of opposition activists.
Komleva was first arrested in Bashkortostan in March 2024 and detained for alleged involvement with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). She was charged with participating in an "extremist community."
Russian authorities designated Alexei Navalny's activist network as "extremist" back in 2021, a move that has placed anyone associated with it at risk of criminal prosecution. Multiple journalists with prior associations with the late opposition leader have been charged and detained.
On the same day as Komleva’s detention, SOTAVision reporter Antonina Favorskaya was arrested and charged with “participating in an extremist organization,” namely Navalny’s FBK. Favorskaya has reported extensively on the Kremlin critic, including his court hearings. She filmed the last known video of Navalny before his death at an Arctic penal colony on Feb 16, 2024. She is reportedly being charged for posting on FBK platforms, a charge which she and FBK vehemently deny. Favorskaya remains behind bars in Moscow.
The lack of transparency in Komleva’s judicial proceedings reflects the steep deterioration of due process in Russian courts. Recently, the courts have intensified their use of secret trials, which are often expedited and lack proper oversight. On July 19, 2024, both US-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and American journalist Evan Gershkovich were convicted in closed-door trials. They received lengthy prison sentences, yet little is known about the evidence presented against them. To announce a verdict in this manner is notably irregular, even by Russian standards, where hearings are often ad-hoc and confidential. Conducting judgements and sentencings in this way signals further erosion of justice and fairness in Russian courts. As freedoms to protest and report truthfully about the war in Ukraine are increasingly criminalized, this latest decline in the court system is yet another sign of Russia’s deeper slide into authoritarianism.
Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the continued detention and legal harassment of Olga Komleva. The closed hearings and extended detention reflect a troubling trend of secretive and unfair legal processes in Russia. Komleva deserves to be released immediately and given a fair, open trial. We urge the international community to do all in its power to support journalists and activists in Russia persecuted by the regime and demand transparency and justice.
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