A criminal case has been opened against Maxim Katz for failing to fulfil the obligations of a 'foreign agent'.

A criminal case has been initiated against opposition blogger Maksim Katz for evading the obligations of a 'foreign agent' (part 2, article 330.1 of the Criminal Code). This was reported by RIA Novosti.

Law enforcement officers told journalists that the case against Katz was opened after a report to Roskomnadzor from a member of the organisation “Deputies of Peaceful Russia,” which the person themselves is part of.

“I doubt this is true, because to open a case under such an article, a report isn’t needed. They open it based on public information. So I think this is just some kind of hoax,” Katz told SOTA.

In August 2023, the blogger was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony in a case about spreading 'fake news' about the army (point “d,” part 2, article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). Later, the Moscow City Court upheld this verdict in absentia. According to investigators, the blogger published a video on his YouTube channel about the killing of civilians in the occupied city of Bucha. Katz himself confirmed that he made the video, but refused to admit guilt.

In July 2022, the opposition figure was added to the registry of 'foreign agents'. He is outside Russia.