Deputy Head of Russia's Youth Affairs Agency Detained in Fraud Case

Authorities in Moscow have detained Denis Ashirov, deputy head of Russia's Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodyozh), on suspicion of fraud linked to state contracts the agency awarded to a private institution, Synergy University. The Russian news website RBC reported the detention on Friday, citing three sources. Rosmolodyozh is responsible for Russia's youth policy and runs programs for young people, including educational forums and grants for youth-led projects.

The allegations

The investigation concerns two state contracts with a combined value of 40.5 million rubles (about $492,000), which Rosmolodyozh signed with Synergy University in 2023 and 2024. Ashirov has been the agency's state secretary and deputy head since July 2022. If convicted of large-scale fraud, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Investigators are examining his part in overseeing the contracts and approving the university's work on the agency's behalf.

The university's position

Synergy University confirmed that investigators are looking at two contracts for developing online training programs for youth workers, aimed at "preventing negative social phenomena." In a statement, the university said it fulfilled both contracts in full and on time, that the results passed the customer's expert review and were accepted, and that authorized officials signed the completion certificates. It added that it won both contracts in open tenders involving seven organizations and that antitrust authorities flagged no violations.

RBC and state-run media reported that Mikhail Yerofeyev, the university's vice rector for regional development, was detained during raids on Friday. The university said that none of its employees has been charged.