The Moscow Military Court sentenced prominent Russian dissident Leonid Volkov to 18 years in prison and fined him 2 million rubles (about $25,000) in absentia on Wednesday.
Volkov, a close ally of late opposition leader Alexey Navalny and former head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, faced charges including 18 counts of spreading military “fakes,” 16 counts of justifying terrorism online, four charges of financial scams, and two politically motivated vandalism charges.
Additional accusations include rehabilitating Nazism online, involving minors in protests, creating a non-profit that allegedly infringes on citizens’ rights, and organizing and financing an “extremist group.” Volkov has been on Russia’s wanted list since January 2021.
Currently residing in Lithuania after fleeing Russia in 2019, Volkov announced his sentence via Telegram, revealing the court also banned him from internet use for 28 years. He urged supporters to back political prisoners in Russia.
Volkov also noted the European Court of Human Rights ruled in his favor for his 2018 arrest, ordering €6,000 in compensation. He had been jailed twice in 2018-2019 for livestreaming a call to protest pension reforms, a move condemned by Amnesty International.
Earlier this year, Volkov’s father, Mikhail Volkov—a former university department head—was arrested amid allegations of financing an extremist organization. Academic societies expressed concern for Mikhail’s health and detention conditions.
Alexey Navalny, who died in prison last year shortly before a planned prisoner exchange, was a leading opposition figure. Since his death, Russian authorities have arrested hundreds mourning him and prosecuted activists, lawyers, and associates, including an ongoing warrant for Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya.
