U.S. Sanctions Russian Judge for Detention of Activist Opposing Ukraine War

Judge Olesya Mendeleeva faces sanctions for sentencing Alexei Gorinov to prison under Russia's war censorship laws.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Russian judge Olesya Mendeleeva for her role in the detention of human rights activist Alexei Gorinov.
Gorinov, a former Moscow city councilor, was the first person jailed under Russia's war censorship laws for criticizing the invasion of Ukraine.
Mendeleeva sentenced Gorinov to seven years in prison in 2022 for calling the conflict a 'war' and discussing the deaths of Ukrainian children.
In November 2024, Gorinov received an additional three-year sentence on charges of 'justifying terrorism' while already in detention.
The U.S. sanctions were imposed under the Global Magnitsky Act, targeting human rights abuses and calling for Gorinov's immediate release.