Free Media Awards 2024
Mikhail Afanasiev – Russia

Since founding the online magasine Novy Fokus two decades ago, he has distinguished himself in the field of investigative journalism in a region characterised by rampant corruption. In autumn 2023, Mikhail Afanasiev was sentenced to 5.5 years’ imprisonment by a Russian court for allegedly having used his position to disseminate false information about the Russian Army. What Afanasiev actually did was to publish a report on members of the Russian National Guard from his hometown of Khakassia, who refused to fight in Ukraine. Further, he has been banned from practicing his profession for 2.5 years after completing his prison sentence. Afanasiev is the first journalist in Russia to be sentenced under the ruthless and hastily adopted amendment to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The amendment was introduced abruptly in March 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His lawyers have brought the case before the European Court of Human Rights. Novy Fokus is currently shut down in response to a request of Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media due to ‘numerous breaches’. With Novy Fokus, Mikhail Afanasiev has focused on uncovering illegal activities among criminal gangs, and exposed abuses of power and the authorities’ failure to act. Afanasiev has been the recipient of death threats for his work as a reporter covering corruption and breaches of human rights.