Russia: Journalist Faces Unjustified Criminal Charges

Expand Svetlana Prokopyeva, Pskov. © 2019 Pavel Dmitriyev (Moscow) – Russian authorities opened a criminal investigation against a journalist for criticizing the authorities in her comments about a recent suicide bombing, Human Rights Watch said today. Russia also fined the radio station and newsfeed websites that carried her comments. If she is prosecuted, the journalist, Svetlana Prokopyeva, faces up to seven years in prison on charges of “justifying terrorism.” Russian authorities should immediately close the investigation, and not misuse anti-terrorism laws to stifle free speech. “Svetlana…

© Human Rights Watch - jeudi 7 février 2019