Prosecutors had sought six years for the journalist, and the court additionally barred him from administering internet resources for five years, according to Mediazona and the Moscow prosecutor's office, both of which cited the ruling.
The case centers on Dobrokhotov's work at The Insider. The indictment cites two videos featuring the journalist: in one he discussed GRU officers, and in the second he addressed the investigation into the killing of Alexei Navalny. Prosecutors allege that through this work Dobrokhotov continued the activities of an "undesirable" organization.
The charge was brought under Part 3 of Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code.
In July 2022 the Prosecutor General's Office designated The Insider an "undesirable" organization. The Justice Ministry added Dobrokhotov himself to its register of "foreign agents" in April of that year.
In 2024 he was first held administratively liable for taking part in the activities of an "undesirable" organization, and a second such protocol was later drawn up. In July 2026 the journalist was entered into the Interior Ministry's wanted database.
Dobrokhotov is also under arrest in absentia in a separate case of illegally crossing the Russian border (Part 1 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code). Investigators allege that in August 2021 he crossed the border with Ukraine in the Voronezh Region away from a checkpoint. The journalist has denied this.