Russia: Natalia Tyshkevich, Alla Gutnikova, Other Former Editors Of Student-Run Magazine DOXA Sentenced To Two Years Of Correctional Labour

Location:  Russia, Moscow
Date: April 14, 2022

Photo Credit: AFP

Moscow court found former editors of the student publication DOXA, Alla Gutnikova, Natalia Tyshkevich, and two others, guilty in the case of involving students' support of the opposition figure, Alexei Navalny. They were assigned two years of corrective labor and banned from administering websites for three years. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the legal proceedings against journalists in Russia. We call on the Kremlin to allow freedom of speech.

The criminal case against the editors of the magazine appeared in early 2021. On April 14, 2021, the police raided the office of the magazine, DOXA, as well as the homes of four former editors. Police detained the four journalists after the raids and accused them of “involving minors in the commission of acts that pose a danger to the minor’s life”. 

The reason for initiating the case was a DOXA video addressed to students and minors who were pressured in educational institutions because they participated in actions to support Alexei Navalny. Alexei is a Kremlin critic and a prominent lawyer, who was arrested and jailed in the meantime. His arrest sparkled several nationwide protests across Russia, and police found those events illegal and used force against students. 

In the video, the journalists of the publication explained the reason for threats to expel people due to participation in protests is illegal. Soon, at the request of Roskomnadzor, the Russian federal service for supervision of communication, the editors removed the video but were accused of the same charge as they were exposed when they were detained. 

For almost a year, journalists were restricted and banned from certain activities. The journalists were kept under house arrest, not allowed to use the Internet, and left their homes, except for walking from 8.00 AM to 10.00 AM in the mornings. At the same time, the Federal Penitentiary Service attempted to send journalists to a pre-trial detention center. However, the court refused to send journalists to a pre-trial detention center.

The court decided each day of a preventive measure in the form of a ban will be counted as one and a half days of corrective labor. Thus, the duration of the punishment will be six months.

According to Radio Liberty, four journalists refused the accusations and considered the case against them politically motivated. 

On April 1, Natalia Tyshkevich was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest under an article on displaying symbols of banned organizations (Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) over a post from 2017. Police found symbols of the "Ukrainian Insurgent Army", a pro-Ukrainian organization recognized by Russia, in Tyszkiewicz's post, but the journalist claimed the symbol was only depicted in the post.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the persistent legal harassment against journalists in Russia. We are extremely concerned about the Kremlin’s increased crackdown on the independent press and its attempts to control channels of information. We demand an immediate release of journalists and drop all charges against them. Journalists must be allowed to report freely in a safer environment.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.