A Moscow court has sentenced prominent Russian opposition figure Sergei Udaltsov to six years imprisonment in a maximum-security penal colony after convicting him of terrorism justification offenses. The verdict delivered on Thursday marks the latest development in Russia’s intensified crackdown on dissent since the commencement of its military operations in Ukraine.
Udaltsov, who leads the Left Front movement aligned with Communist Party factions opposing President Vladimir Putin, was arrested last year following an online article expressing support for activists previously convicted on terrorism organization charges. The independent news outlet Mediazona reported that Udaltsov vehemently denied the allegations during proceedings, labeling them as politically motivated fabrications. Following the verdict announcement, the activist declared his intention to initiate a hunger strike while denouncing the judgment as “shameful.
This prosecution continues Udaltsov’s lengthy history of governmental opposition. He emerged as a significant figure during the 2011-2012 mass protests against alleged electoral fraud in parliamentary elections. His political activism previously resulted in a 4.5-year imprisonment in 2014 for organizing demonstrations against Putin’s administration, with subsequent release in 2017.
The current sentencing occurs within Russia’s broader suppression of civil liberties that has targeted independent media, religious organizations, LGBTQ+ advocates, and civil society groups. Numerous individuals have faced imprisonment while thousands have elected to flee the country amid escalating political repression.