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On 7 July, the Sharya District Court in Kostroma region sentenced 59-year-old local resident Igor Meshalkin to a fine of 40,000 roubles (approximately US$450) in a case concerning the financing of extremist activity (Part 1, Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code) due to donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). OVD-Info drew attention to the published court ruling.
The court imposed a penalty below the minimum threshold, taking into account Meshalkin’s admission of guilt and the financial situation of him and his family.
According to the verdict, Meshalkin had set up monthly donations to the FBK. After the organisation was declared extremist, he made seven transfers of 300 roubles each. In total, from August 2021 to February 2022, Meshalkin sent 2,100 roubles.
In court, Meshalkin “explained that he holds opposition views and considers himself an opponent of the current authorities.” He said that he had learned about the FBK’s activities in the 2010s and started making donations to the organisation even before it was banned.
“The activities of these organisations were not banned, their purpose was limited to calls for a change of government, but were not anti-social or dangerous in nature, nor incited violence, and the transfer of funds was not illegal,” the verdict summarised Meshalkin’s testimony.
In court he also said he did not remember whether he set up the monthly payment before or after the FBK was banned. According to him, he cancelled the automatic payments himself in February 2025, when he realised that it could result in criminal liability.
It is unclear when the criminal case was initiated. According to the verdict, local law enforcement in January 2025 determined that Meshalkin had made transfers to the FBK. The case files also include an inspection report dated 26 February—at that time, law enforcement officers searched Meshalkin’s house and found his laptop, from which, in their view, the automatic payment was set up. Additionally, in January and February, he was questioned regarding the donations to FBK.
On 10 March, Meshalkin’s home was searched as part of the criminal case. On 31 March, he was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists.”
The news item has been amended to correct the number of transfers made by Meshalkin