Independent UN human rights experts said in a statement on Tuesday that the recent prison sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva send a “threatening message” to all journalists. 

On Friday, Mr. Gershkovich was handed a 16-year prison sentence on spying charges in a Russian court. The reporter was arrested in Russia in 2023 and has been held there since, despite calls for his release.

That same day, Ms. Kurmasheva received a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for “spreading fake news about the Russian army.” She has been arbitrarily detained in Russia since 18 October.

Sentencing shocks

The UN experts said they are shocked by the journalists’ being sentenced for “crimes they did not commit.” They also condemned the trial processes which had led to the convictions.

“The rushed and secretive nature of their trials -- over three and two days respectively, and behind closed doors -- is yet another demonstration of the sham trials and convictions on fabricated charges of reporters who were just doing their job,” the experts said.

In Mr. Gershkovich’s case, the Special Rapporteurs noted that the closed-door trials prove that the court’s verdict was politically motivated to punish the journalist for reporting concerning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

They said: “We are concerned about the instrumentalisation and increased use of national security laws in Russia to unduly restrict freedom of expression, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and effectively criminalising any independent journalism aimed at reporting on the war.”

Call for repeal

In addition to Mr. Gershkocivh and Ms.Kurmasheva, around 33 journalists are currently detained in Russia reflecting a dangerous trend of increased “crackdowns” on independent media and opposing voices since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. 

The experts call for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all the journalists in Russia who were detained for doing their jobs.

They also call for the Russian government to “repeal all legislation unduly restricting freedom of expression, such as ‘spreading fake news about the Russian army’ and ‘discrediting the Russian army.’”

Further, the experts demand that Russia amend its criminal laws to prevent the abuse of national security laws to limit freedom of expression, specifically for journalists who are truthfully reporting about the war in Ukraine.

Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world.

They are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organisation. They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.