OSCE Media Freedom Representative expresses serious concern following indictment on terrorism charges of journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia

VIENNA, 17 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his serious concerns today at the ongoing prosecution of Svetlana Prokopyeva in Russia, after the regional prosecutor in Pskov signed, on 13 March, her indictment with grave charges of “publicly justifying terrorism” and submitted it to the Regional Military Court in Moscow. Prokopyeva, a journalist with Radio Ekho Moskvy (Echo of Moscow) in Pskov, is a contributor to various other media, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Russian Service. 

The charges, punishable by a prison sentence of up to seven years, stem from Prokopyeva’s comments on the radio following a terrorist attack in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk in October 2018. The transcript of the programme was later published on the Pskovskaya Lenta Novostei online news portal.

“I reiterate my call to the authorities to drop the charges brought against Prokopyeva, who had no involvement in any terrorist activity or an intention to condone terrorism,” Désir said. "Her comments, however critical, had nothing to do with the promotion or support of terrorism."

The Representative recalled the statement, in October 2019, by Russia’s Presidential Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights on this matter. According to the statement, the Council’s Standing Committee on Freedom of Information and the Rights of Journalists did not find any signs of condoning terrorism in this case.

The OSCE Representative has intervened on different occasions in the case of Svetlana 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, organized by his Office with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

See: 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. 

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.