Overview
- Mikhaylov was detained at a Moscow airport and formally accused of publicly justifying terrorism for a 2024 online piece about sociologist Boris Kagarlickiy.
- A Moscow court has ordered him held in pretrial detention for two months while investigators build the case.
- The charge carries a possible prison term of up to seven years and echoes recent prosecutions of opposition figures under the same statute.
- Mikhaylov’s allies say the case also reflects his past public support for activist Sergei Udaltsov and is politically motivated, while authorities have not issued official comments.
- The arrest comes after Mikhaylov lost his Duma seat in September to a United Russia candidate and highlights a pattern of using broad anti‑terror rules to constrain dissent in Russia.