Sergei Udaltsov Sentenced to Six Years Over Terrorism Justification Charges
Sergei Udaltsov, leader of the Left Front and a Putin critic affiliated with the Communist party, has been convicted of justifying terrorism and sentenced to six years in a maximum-security penal colony in Moscow. The charges relate to an online article he posted in support of activists who were convicted earlier this month for forming a terrorist organization and received sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years. Udaltsov rejected the charges as fabrication, denounced the verdict as shameful, and announced plans to go on a hunger strike.
Udaltsov was a prominent opposition figure during the 2011–12 mass protests against alleged election rigging and took part in a 2012 meeting with then-president Dmitry Medvedev. Russian authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with hundreds jailed and thousands fleeing the country. The crackdown targets rights groups, independent media, civil society, LGBTQ+ activists, and some religious groups.
In December 2023, Udaltsov received 40 hours of compulsory labor for violating rally procedures after detention on Red Square while attempting to unfurl a Stalin poster, according to Tass. He was previously imprisoned in 2014 for organizing the 2012 demonstration and was sentenced to 4.5 years before his release in 2017.
