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Russia’s Supreme Court Bans Exiled ‘Congress of People’s Deputies’ as Terrorist Organization

The closed-door ruling takes immediate effect, tightening legal exposure for leaders and supporters already pursued in absentia.

Overview

  • The court granted the General Prosecutor’s suit to recognize and prohibit the group under Russia’s anti-terror legislation.
  • Officials said the hearing was closed to media and the public, and the decision is subject to immediate enforcement.
  • Prosecutors assert the organization presents itself as a government in exile that seeks a violent seizure of power, citing prior terrorism-related convictions of affiliated members.
  • The body was founded in Poland in 2022 by former State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomaryov, who resides abroad and was sentenced in absentia in 2024 to 10 years.
  • The group was labeled undesirable in Russia in 2023, and Ponomaryov has been designated a foreign agent and placed on wanted lists.