Envato
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
LONDON/PRAGUE/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – U.S.-backed broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) says one of its jailed journalists has been moved to a “punitive isolation unit” in Russia, where she is serving additional disciplinary penalties for alleged violations, as critics warn that more journalists and media workers are now behind bars in the country than last year.
Nika Novak, 32, who previously worked for the news outlet ChitaMedia and later served as editor-in-chief of the website Zab.ru, was sentenced in November 2024 to four years in prison on charges of “confidential cooperation with a foreign organization.”
Observers say it was the first time a journalist had been convicted under that article of Russian law.
Novak, who trained as a lawyer before turning to journalism and literary work, cooperated with RFE/RL as a freelance correspondent, officials said.
While in detention, Novak reportedly launched several hunger strikes to protest disciplinary punishment after complaining about prison conditions, restrictions on correspondence, alleged mistreatment in a penal colony in Russia’s Irkutsk region, and continued provocations from a cellmate.
CASE RAISED AT MEDIA FREEDOM FORUM
Her case was among several discussed at the Media Freedom Forum, held in London on March 5–6, where speakers said the growing persecution of journalists poses an increasing threat to media freedom worldwide.
The event brought together journalists, human rights advocates, international lawyers, and politicians who discussed ways to defend independent reporting.
Speakers highlighted other jailed journalists linked to RFE/RL and independent media in the region.
Among them was Ihar Losik, a Belarusian RFE/RL journalist serving a lengthy prison sentence in Belarus after authorities accused him of organizing mass unrest, charges widely condemned by rights groups.
REGIONAL CRACKDOWN REPORTED
Participants mentioned Farid Mehralizada, an RFE/RL journalist detained in Azerbaijan last year amid a broader crackdown on independent media.
Speakers at the forum included RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who spent more than nine months behind bars in Russia before being released in a prisoner exchange on August 1, 2024.
Kurmasheva said more journalists and media workers are behind bars in Russia than last year.
Yet despite the growing repression, she said stories continue to emerge about their resilience and determination to pursue justice even from behind prison walls.
“I know firsthand how extraordinarily difficult it is not only to endure captivity, but to continue resisting injustice and preserving one’s sense of freedom behind bars,” Kurmasheva said.
GLOBAL THREATS TO JOURNALISM
“The free world must never look away. Keep their names in the spotlight, amplify their voices, and fight for their release. Journalism should no longer be treated as a crime,” she added.
Participants warned of wider threats to journalism, including transnational repression, surveillance technologies, legal harassment through so-called strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), and economic pressure on independent media.
They said the forum will issue recommendations based on international data to strengthen media freedom protections in the European Union and beyond.
The post RFE/RL Journalist Held In Russian Isolation Unit As Media Freedom Forum Warns Of Crackdown appeared first on Worthy Christian News.
