Ruslan Karpuk (Leviev)
Ruslan Karpuk (Leviev), born 1986, Moscow. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2 items b, v, d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); “The case of Ruslan Leviev and Michael Nacke of "fakes" about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine”. Sentence (August 29, 2023): 11 years of imprisonment in absentia. Status: not in Russia.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Journalists · Anti-war cases, Cases against "foreign agents"
Sentence
11 years
of imprisonment in absentia
Upheld December 13, 2023
Charges
- Article 207.3 part 2 items b, v, d, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries (using an official position, a group of individuals, falsification of evidence, for selfish motives, or out of hatred)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, in the video "War. Results of the 9th day" he was being sceptical about the official position of the Ministry of Defence that the Zaporizhya NPP had been shelled by the Ukrainian military, and embedded in the video clip fragments that were supposed to show that the Russian army was destroying cities and civilians. In addition, Karpuk (Leviev) was charged for participating in a live broadcast on 9 March 2022 on the YouTube channel "Popular Politics", where he spoke about a Russian airstrike on a hospital in Mariupol.
Latest event
December 13, 2023 — appeal
The court upheld the verdict.
FACTUM stories
September 28, 2026
Ruslan Leviev: 11 years in absentia for war analysis
The founder of Conflict Intelligence Team was sentenced in absentia to 11 years for his war-analysis broadcasts. How Russia built its “fake news” case against him.
Timeline
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 11 years
· Added to the register of “foreign agents”
· Persecution begins
The case of Ruslan Leviev and Michael Nacke of "fakes" about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine
Criminal case
The case of Ruslan Leviev and Michael Nacke of "fakes" about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine
- Case number
- 01-0378/2023
Other defendants in the case
- Michael Nacke — Not in Russia, 11 years
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Details and sources
Full summary
A former law student who interned at the Investigative Committee but got disillusioned with the judicial system and dropped out of the university. In 2009, he started working as a programmer. He participated in protest rallies and was first detained on 5 December 2011. As a programmer he co-operated with Aleksei Navalny and Maksim Katz. Founded Conflict Intelligence Team, a platform for researching armed conflicts. Ruslan is outside of Russia and is wanted on charges of spreading deliberately false information about the Russian Armed Forces. In total, two cases under this article were opened against him, later merged. The court arrested him in absentia, his property was seized. On 18 November he was included in the register of "foreign agents". On 29 August 2023, Karpuk (Leviev) was sentenced in absentia to 11 years of imprisonment.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- arrest in absentia
Other people prosecuted under Article 207.3 part 2 items b, v, d, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.