Nika Novak is a political prisoner

A journalist from the Zabaykalsky Krai has been charged with collusion with a foreign organisation

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Nika Novak a political prisoner. She is being prosecuted on a charge of collusion with a foreign organisation, most likely for her work as a journalist. Novak’s prosecution violates her rights to freedom of expression and fair trial. We demand that Nika Novak be released immediately from detention and that all criminal charges against her be dropped.

What are the charges against Nika Novak?

Nika Novak, 32, is a journalist from Chita in Zabaykalsky Krai. Since 2013 she has worked for various Chita media outlets, and in 2014-2015, she worked for one of the newspapers in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic in the east of Ukraine.

Judging by Novak’s Facebook posts, she held anti-Ukrainian views and supported separatism in eastern Ukraine.

On 25 December 2023, Novak was remanded in custody on a charge of collusion with a foreign organisation (Article 275.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). The hearing in her case was held in camera.

We have no other information about the charge against Novak, but according to media reports, before she was remanded in custody Novak also worked for the publication Sibir.Realii (or Siberia.Realities which is a regional news outlet of RFE/RL’s Russian Service), which had been designated a ‘foreign agent’ in Russia.

If convicted, Nika Novak faces up to eight years’ imprisonment.

Why do we consider Nika Novak a political prisoner?

Regardless of the charges against Nika Novak, we believe there are significant legal defects in the article of the Russian Criminal Code on collusion with an international or foreign organisation. For example, a person cannot know in advance which contacts with representatives of international or foreign organisations are lawful and which are prohibited.

If the prosecution of the journalist is related to work with Sibir.Realii, then this violates her right to freedom of expression.

The holding of court hearings on the selection of pre-trial conditions in camera, and the ban on publishing court decisions, contradict the principle of transparency of justice. This allows the courts to avoid public scrutiny, in violation of a defendant’s right to fair trial.

A detailed description of Nika Novak’s case and of our position is available on our website.

Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.

How can you help?

You can donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.