OSCE Media Freedom Representative Harlem Désir dismayed by court verdict against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia

VIENNA, 6 July 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious dismay today at the court verdict against journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia.

The Second Western District Military Court in the city of Pskov found journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva guilty of "publicly justifying terrorism" and fined her 500,000 roubles (about 6,000 euro). Earlier, on 3 July, the prosecutor had requested a sentence of six years in prison.

“Although I am glad that Svetlana Prokopyeva was not sentenced  to prison, her condemnation sets a dangerous precedent for Russian journalists to the exercise of their right to freedom of expression,” Désir said. “Prokopeyva had no involvement in any terrorist activity and never condoned terrorism. I hope  that this verdict will be reversed in appeal.”

The charges were brought after Prokopyeva’s comments on radio following a terrorist attack in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk in October 2018. Prokopyeva, a journalist with Radio Ekho Moskvy in Pskov, is a contributor to various other media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Russian Service. 

The OSCE Representative has intervened on a number of occasions in the case of Prokopyeva, whom he met last autumn in Moscow during the conference on Freedom of the Media and Safety of Journalists in the Russian Federation and in the OSCE region.

For previous interventions see: https://twitter.com/OSCE_RFoM/status/1279459200511459331; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/448645; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/411116; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/434678; https://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/411116.