Russian internet regulator's senior programmer given suspended sentence over Navalny foundation donation

A Moscow court has sentenced Leonid Stepanov, an employee of Russia's federal communications regulator Roskomnadzor, to a four-year suspended prison term on charges of financing extremism, the independent outlet Mediazona reported.

Stepanov, 48, works as a lead programmer at the Main Radio Frequency Center, an agency operating under Roskomnadzor. The case stemmed from money transfers he made to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, an organization founded by the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

According to investigators, Stepanov sent two payments to the foundation in August 2021 totaling 1,532.43 rubles, roughly $21 at the time. By then, Russian authorities had already labeled the group an "extremist organization."

The criminal case against Stepanov was opened in May 2026, at which point he was placed under house arrest. Prosecutors had asked for a six-year prison colony sentence, while his defense argued for a fine instead.

Stepanov admitted guilt in full during the trial and expressed remorse. At his defense team's request, the case file also came to include two of his workplace honors: a Roskomnadzor certificate titled "For Conscientious Work" and a commemorative badge called "For Dedication to the Profession."

Mediazona's tally found that by April 2026, Russian authorities had opened at least 225 criminal cases tied to donations made to the Anti-Corruption Foundation after its 2021 ban. The outlet hasn't released more recent totals, but new cases or verdicts over such donations continue to be reported roughly weekly.