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A criminal case has been opened against the musician Noize MC (real name Ivan Alekseev) for publicly justifying terrorism on the internet (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code). The announcement by the Moscow prosecutor’s office waspicked up by Mediazona.
According to the authorities, during a concert outside Russia, Alekseev “publicly justified terrorist ideology” and spoke favourably about the activities of an organisation that is designated as terrorist in Russia. The prosecutor’s office did not specify which event or which organisation this refers to. Under Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code, the musician faces a fine ranging from 300,000 to one million rubles (approximately US$3,300 to US$11,000), or between five and seven years in prison.
After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Noize MC spoke out against the war and left the country. Together with the singer Monetochka, he held charity concerts to raise money for humanitarian aid for people living in Ukraine.
In November 2022, the Ministry of Justice added Alekseev to the register of “foreign agents.” The authorities claimed the musician had engaged in “political activity” and received funding from Ukraine.
In June 2023, the musician was fined 30,000 rubles (about US$330) for the absence of “foreign agent” labelling on two posts in his VKontakte public page. The musician’s defence pointed out that these posts were published by his PR manager rather than Alekseev himself, and that Noize MC’s band has not been designated as a “foreign agent.”
In November that same year, the musician received another fine of 30,000 rubles (about US$330), this time for not submitting a “foreign agent” activity report to the Ministry of Justice. In April 2024, Alekseev was again fined for not labelling content as “foreign agent,” this time 50,000 rubles (about US$550). And in November 2024, the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow fined Noize MC a further 50,000 rubles under the administrative article on “discrediting” the Russian army (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The reason was a post by Alekseev in which the musician wished Ukraine victory in the war.
Read more in our guide about what the authorities consider “justification” of terrorism and how people in Russia are prosecuted under this law: read our instructions here.