Overview

• Leonid Volkov, a top aide to late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, was sentenced in absentia by a Russian military court to 18 years in prison.
• He was found guilty on over 40 counts across nine cases, covering justifying terrorism, spreading false information about the army, fraud and forming an extremist organization.
• In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a 2 million ruble fine and banned Volkov from using the internet for 10 years.
• Volkov, who has lived in Lithuania since 2019 and has been on Russia’s wanted list since 2021, ridiculed the verdict in social media posts.
• Separately this week, Yabloko lawmaker Lev Shlosberg was placed under house arrest on charges of discrediting the Russian military, signaling an intensifying crackdown on dissent.