Farida Kurbangaleeva
Farida Kurbangaleeva, born 1979, Moscow. Charges: Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)); Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); “Farida Kurbangaleeva's case”. Sentence (July 18, 2025): 8 years' imprisonment in absentia. Status: not in Russia.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Journalists · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases, Cases against "foreign agents"
Sentence
8 years
imprisonment in absentia
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
- Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries (based on political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or on grounds of hatred or enmity in relation to any social group)
Full wording of the charges
Presumably, the reason for the case was an interview that the journalist had conducted with Aleksei Baranovskii, allegedly associated with the Freedom of Russia Legion. According to the investigation, "in May 2024, being outside Russia, she posted on the Internet on the personal channel on one of the video hosting sites a previously jointly produced video record containing signs of calls for terrorist activity, as well as justification of terrorism. In January 2023, while abroad, she also posted on the messenger channel deliberately false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces during the special military operation".
Latest event
July 18, 2025 — first-instance verdict
The court delivered a guilty verdict: 8 years.
Timeline
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 8 years
· Added to the register of “foreign agents”
· Preventive measure: arrest in absentia
· Persecution begins
Farida Kurbangaleeva's case
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Criminal case
Farida Kurbangaleeva's case
- Case number
- 1-384/2025
Thematic group: The case of the interview; Anti-war case
Details and sources
Full summary
Journalist. Until 2014, she was a presenter of the Vesti programme on the government-owned Russia-1 TV channel, and then worked on various projects related to Russian television. From 2018 to 2021, she worked at "Current Time". She left Russia. In 2024, she started her own YouTube channel.
On 19 June 2024, Kurbangaleeva was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of terrorists and extremists. A mark next to her name indicated that a terrorism case was opened against her. At the same time, it became known that she was wanted in a case of public justification of terrorism. Later it was reported that she was also accused of spreading deliberately false information about the Russian Armed Forces. One of the reasons for the case was an interview that the journalist had conducted with Aleksei Baranovskii, allegedly associated with the Freedom of Russia legion.
On 18 July 2025, the court sentenced Kurbangaleeva in absentia to eight years in prison.
All fields of the record
- Preventive measures
- arrest in absentia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.