Fines, charges and pressure over violations of ‘foreign agent’ legislation: Human rights news, court updates & analysis | 30 related articles

11.03.2025

14:33

The Lomonosovsky District Court in Leningrad Region has fined St Petersburg priest Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko 15,000 rubles (about US$160). He reported this on his Telegram channel on 10 March.

The priest said that in November 2024, the main office of the Ministry of Justice for St Petersburg and Leningrad Region sent him a warning. Mikhnov-Vaitenko did not receive it.

The document stated that he had reposted material from the publication Bumaga, which had been designated as a “foreign agent,” without specifying this status. The priest was given one and a half months to correct the violation.

As a result, an administrative offence report was drawn up against him. Mikhnov-Vaitenko was accused of failing to comply with an order to rectify breaches of “foreign agent” legislation (part 42, article 19.5 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

“I have to say, if I had received the warning in time, I would have easily written that they were foreign agents, or deleted the post. But I didn’t receive it. Nor did I receive an invitation to the administrative hearing, which didn’t stop the Ministry of Justice from proceeding and sending the case to court, which, ‘taking into account the personal characteristics of the person involved,’ imposed a fine. <…> I will appeal this decision anyway!” the priest wrote.

Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko was also added to the “foreign agent” register in July 2024. The Ministry of Justice claimed that the priest had spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and disseminated unreliable information about the actions of the Russian authorities.

27.02.2025

13:20

Arkhangelsk Oblast

The Severodvinsk City Court (Arkhangelsk region, northwestern Russia) has fined Shiyes defender and former city councillor Sergey Ilyukhin 30,000 roubles (approx. US$330) under the article for failing to report himself as a ‘foreign agent’ (Part 1, Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). This was reported by “7×7”; a press release is available on the court’s website.

The court’s press release stated: “According to open sources, the offender is one of the leaders of the public organisation ‘Clean North 29,’ and was a deputy in the VII convocation of the Severodvinsk Council of Deputies. From December 2020 to June 2021, public mass events were held in Severodvinsk with his participation, in violation of the current legislation of the Russian Federation.”

The protocol on the politician was drawn up in early February. Ilyukhin commented: “It turns out that before I was included in the foreign agent register, I should have realised I was under foreign influence, reported it to the Ministry of Justice, and obtained the status. And at the same time, I was supposed to stop both my deputy and any other political activity, as well as publishing my opinions about decisions taken by the authorities and the policies they pursue. Well then!.”

Sergey Ilyukhin was added to the “foreign agent” register on 18 October 2024. The Ministry of Justice explained this by saying the deputy had “spread false information” about the policies of the Russian authorities and, “as a correspondent,” appeared on the platforms of “foreign agents” (this was most likely referring to his blog on the 7×7 website, which was itself earlier listed as a foreign agent). On 25 October, owing to this status, the Severodvinsk Council of Deputies revoked Ilyukhin’s mandate.

20.02.2025

20:40

A protocol has been drawn up against comedian Denis Chuzhoy for not reporting himself as a “foreign agent” (part 1, article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). The case record has been published on the website of the Zheleznogorsk City Court in Kursk region (a city in western Russia).

The hearing in the comedian’s case is scheduled for 19 February.

Denis Chuzhoy (Denis Alesin) was declared a “foreign agent” in November 2024. According to the Ministry of Justice, Chuzhoy participated in the creation and distribution of materials by other “foreign agents” as well as “undesirable organisations,” spoke out against the war, and spread false information about Russian State bodies and their decisions.

10:05

The Tagansky District Court in Moscow fined the VPN provider Hidemy.nerwork LTD 400,000 roubles (approx. US$4,400) under the article on producing and distributing “foreign agent” materials without the required labelling (Part 4, Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code), reports the court’s press service.

The provider, registered in Belize, was added to the “foreign agent” registry in November 2023.

18.02.2025

15:53

Moscow

Feminist activist and journalist Zalina Marshenkulova has been fined 45,000 rubles (about US$500) under the law concerning publications without a ‘foreign agent’ label (Part 4, Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). This was reported today by the press service of the Moscow courts of general jurisdiction.

The decision to fine Marshenkulova was issued by the Tagansky District Court of Moscow. The court’s website record does not mention which materials led to the administrative case.

The Justice Ministry designated Marshenkulova a ‘foreign agent’ in September 2024. Six months earlier, a criminal case for “justifying terrorism” (Part 2, Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code) was opened against her over a publication about the killing of pro-government military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. In connection with this case, law enforcement officers searched Marshenkulova’s home.

In mid-April 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs put the feminist activist on the federal wanted list. A month later, the court ordered her arrest in absentia.

14:48

Moscow

Former Russian Orthodox Church proto-deacon Andrey Kurayev has been fined 45,000 rubles (approximately US$500) for a post without the “foreign agent” label (part 4, article 19.34 of the Code of Administrative Offences) on his fake social media page. The press service of the Moscow courts of general jurisdiction reported this today.

According to Moscow’s Tagansky district court, on 19 August 2024 the clergy member published material without the “foreign agent” notice on a VKontakte page. Kurayev’s lawyer tried to prove that their client does not have access to this account. At the request of the former proto-deacon, the page was blocked by VKontakte moderators, notes SOTA.

The defence asked the court to postpone hearings in the case and send a repeat inquiry to the Ministry of Justice regarding who owns the blocked account. The court refused this request and found Kurayev guilty of violating the “foreign agent” law.

In 2020, the theologian and former proto-deacon Andrey Kurayev was prohibited from serving in the Church over insulting the late priest Alexander Ageykin, who had died from Covid, in his personal blog. In April 2023, Kurayev was stripped of his clerical rank, and at the end of the same year was declared a “foreign agent.”

02.02.2025

15:53

Arkhangelsk Oblast

A protocol has been drawn up against Shiyes defender and former Severodvinsk city councillor Sergey Ilyukhin for failing to report himself as a “foreign agent” (part 1 of article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). He shared this on his page on VKontakte. His post was noticed by the outlet 7×7.

“It turns out that before being added to the foreign agents register, I should have realised I was under foreign influence, reported this to the Ministry of Justice, and acquired the status. And, for good measure, I was supposed to end my council and any other political activity, and stop expressing my opinions on government decisions and policies. That’s how it is!” Ilyukhin recounted, summarising an explanation given by Ulyana Strunina from the Arkhangelsk region’s Ministry of Justice office.

Ilyukhin was added to the “foreign agents” list on 18 October 2024. The Ministry of Justice explained that this was because the councillor “spread false information” about the Russian authorities’ policies and “as a correspondent” appeared on the information platforms of “foreign agents” (most likely referring to his blog on the 7×7 media outlet website, which had also been added to the register earlier). On 25 October, due to this status, the Severodvinsk city council revoked Ilyukhin’s mandate.

28.01.2025

18:16

Saint Petersburg

The Vsevolozhsk District Court in St Petersburg fined former local council member from the Yabloko party, Fedor Utkin, 30,000 roubles (approximately US$330) under the article on carrying out “foreign agent” activities without self-reporting for inclusion in the register (Part 1, Article 19.34 of the Administrative Code). This was reported by “Bumaga.”

Utkin was charged over posts on VKontakte made in 2024. The posts contained links to materials from “Dozhd” and a music video by the singer Monetochka, as well as commentary on the presidential election, Boris Nadezhdin, and the death of Alexei Navalny. These posts appeared before the politician was entered into the “foreign agents” register, which happened in July 2024. After Utkin was designated a “foreign agent,” he deleted all posts with links to other “foreign agents” and statements about politics, but the court did not take this into account.

24.01.2025

17:51

Saint Petersburg

An administrative offence report has been drawn up against Lidiya Nevzorova for reposting a publication by her husband, Aleksandr Nevzorov, without indicating that he is designated as a “foreign agent.”

As reported by the joint press service of the courts of St Petersburg, the Primorsky District Court has registered a case under the article dealing with the failure to comply with a lawful order or warning to address violations of the “foreign agents” legislation (Part 42, Article 19.5 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

Nevzorova reposted the item on her Telegram channel. Following this, she was issued a written warning with a demand to “rectify the violation.” She did not do so.

21.01.2025

19:49

Novgorod Oblast

The Valday District Court in Novgorod Region fined the radio station “Novgorodskaya Volna” and its editor-in-chief over songs by Zemfira, Noize MC and Morgenstern. This was reported by the publication Pskovskaya Guberniya.

The reason was that in November, these tracks were aired without stating that the artists are “foreign agents.” The radio station was fined 40,000 roubles (approx. US$440), and the editor-in-chief was fined 4,000 roubles (approx. US$44).

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Fines, charges and pressure over violations of ‘foreign agent’ legislation