Human rights activist Lev Ponomarev sentenced in absentia to 5.5 years for 'undesirable' organization
A Moscow court has sentenced 84-year-old human rights activist Lev Ponomarev in absentia to five and a half years in prison, finding him guilty of running an 'undesirable' organization and evading 'foreign agent' obligations.
Lev Ponomarev, an 84-year-old human rights activist, has been sentenced in absentia to five and a half years in prison by the Khoroshevsky District Court in Moscow. According to the independent Russian outlet Mediazona, the court found Ponomarev guilty of managing the activities of an 'undesirable' organization and failing to comply with his obligations as a so-called 'foreign agent.' The judge also imposed a nine-year ban on administering websites.
The charge of leading an 'undesirable' organization stems from the Andrei Sakharov Institute, which Ponomarev founded in Paris in November 2022. Russia's Ministry of Justice designated the institute as 'undesirable' in the summer of 2024. Despite this, Ponomarev continued to organize the distribution of its materials, which the indictment claimed were aimed at fostering protest sentiment and discrediting Russian authorities.
The second charge arose from his refusal to attach the mandatory 'foreign agent' disclaimer to his publications. The Andrei Sakharov Institute states its goals as supporting Russian civil society amid repression, assisting political refugees and deserters from Russia, and providing a platform for expert discussions on ending the war and building democracy in Russia.
