User:Crtew/Sergei Reznik

Sergei Reznik, (16 June 1979 – present), also transliterated as Sergey, a Russian journalist for Novaya Gazeta and  blogger on LiveJournal in Rostov on Don, Russia, was imprisoned for 18 months from November 2013 for his work. He was sentenced to an additional 3 years on January YEAR and restricted from journalistic work for two years after his release. Reznik was known for his sometimes harsh critiques of Rostov on Don's authorities and leaders.

Personal
Sergei Reznik has a wife named Natalia Reznik and they reside in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Career
Sergei Reznik is a journalist for Novaya Gazeta and contributes to regional news websites, including Yuzhnyi Federalnyi, and he is a blogger on LiveJournal, which partners with Novaya Gazeta. LiveJournal is now widely used in Russia for political commentary.

Court case
Sergei Reznik was sentenced to an 18 month long sentence for publicly insulting a judge on LiveJournal and reporting false threats to the police. Reznik was sentenced to an additional 3 years on January 22, 2015 for giving false information to an officer and for libeling three government officials. Also for his second sentencing he was not allowed to do any journalistic work for 2 years. On appeal, the Rostov Regional Court accepted in April 2015 his earlier sentence.

Context
Reznik was involved with five previous court cases between 2012 and 2013. All of those cases were about his articles and blogs that criticized some of the authorities in Rostov on Don. Reznik received many threats anonymously until he was physically attacked while with his wife Natalia. Reznik suffered only head and neck injuries. Anna Poltikovskaya also worked for Novaya Gazeta and she was killed in 2006. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Russia in the 10 worst countries with anti-press crimes. According to Reporters Without Borders, Russia ranked 148th out of 179 countries on the World Freedom Press Index in 2013.

Impact
Sergei Reznik impacts Russia and the city of Rostov on Don because he is another example of a targeted journalist. As mentioned earlier Russia is ranked 148th out of 179 countries in the freedom of press index in 2013. Open Russia is a human rights movement headed by Mikhali Khodorkovsky which is helping open Russia back up to new ideas and ways. Within this movement, political prisoners are being helped and their families are being enabled to see them and meet with them at their detention.

Reactions
In 2013, a petition with 489 signatures was collected in support of Sergei Reznik. This petition was being signed by people through change.org to stop the personal prosecution of independent journalists, this case having to do with Reznik. The petition was sent to several organizations, including Russian Union of Journalists, Committee to Protect Journalists, and Glasnost Defense Foundation.

Reporters Without Borders sent out a direct concern about Reznik and another local journalist, Alexander Tolmachov in early 2014. They were outraged at the continuous violation of citizens' rights, especially that of freedom of speech.

Nadezhda Azhgikhina, secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia and vice-president of the European Federation of Journalists, said, "We were shocked by the verdict, and especially by the fact that Reznik will be forbidden to engage in his professional activities for two years."

Tumas Misakyan, one of Reznik's advocates, said, "Not a single expert has found that Reznik called the victim offensively, by using uncontrolled vocabulary. I am shocked by yesterday's verdict.. .the reason for Reznik's prosecution is in his multiple critical articles about high-ranking bureaucrats."

As recently as August 2015, financial support was issued for Reznik and other political prisoners. This plan was apart of the "Open Russia" movement headed by, Mikhali Khodorkovsky. They will receive 100,000 roubles, enabling family to meet at their detention.

TEMPORARY URL HOLDER
OSCE concerned by verdict issued to rostov blogger. (2015, Jan 22). Interfax : Russia & CIS General Newswire

Russia: Free-press monitors condemn new prison term for russian journalist. (2015, Jan 27). Asia News Monitor

Lawson, P., Nicholson, J., Ryehauge, A., & Sandeman, W. (2014, Dec 05). Online freedom slips in russia, ukraine; kyiv announces another cease-fire. Transitions Online

Russian rights group reports surge of criminal cases, attacks against bloggers. (2014). . Lanham: Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc.


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