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May 09, 2025 – Russia –
Russian journalist Veronika Orlova, a correspondent for the independent news channel SOTAvision, was sentenced to 13 days of administrative detention after filming a protest near the Kremlin on May 6, 2025. The protest, led by activist Grigory Saksonov, featured a sign comparing Russian President Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler. Orlova was arrested by security forces while she was walking near the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge in Moscow, where she had been documenting the demonstration.
The journalist was charged with disobeying police officers, a common accusation used to detain protestors and journalists in Russia. Orlova has insisted that she did not resist arrest and was simply fulfilling her journalistic duties by filming the protest. The protest itself was part of ongoing anti-Putin demonstrations, a rare occurrence due to the heightened repression in Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) strongly condemned Orlova’s detention, calling for her immediate release. CPJ highlighted the intensifying crackdown on dissenting voices in Russia, particularly against independent journalists and those critical of the government. Russia has been using stringent laws to silence independent media, particularly with the enactment of laws criminalizing “discrediting” the military or spreading “false information.” These laws have led to the arrest and harassment of many journalists, as seen in Orlova’s case.
Orlova’s detention serves as another example of the challenges faced by journalists working in Russia, where freedom of the press continues to erode. The international community, including organizations like CPJ and Reporters Without Borders, has expressed ongoing concern over the fate of press freedom in the country. Calls for the protection of journalists and their right to report without fear of retaliation have been growing louder, urging Russian authorities to respect international standards of human rights and free expression.
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Russian journalist sentenced to 13 days administrative detention after filming anti-Putin protest
