Andrei Malikov
Andrei Malikov, born 1973, Belgorod Oblast. Charges: Article 128.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public defamation); “Andrey Malikov's defamation case”. Status: location unknown.
In brief
Belgorod Oblast · Belgorod · Bloggers, Entrepreneurs
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Charges
- Article 128.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public defamation
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, in April 2025, Malikov published in his Telegram channel "text information and a photo image containing linguistic signs of humiliation in an indecent form of negative assessment of the person of [Belgorod Region's acting Minister of Culture] Shaposhnikov M.V.".
Latest event
January 1, 2025 — persecution begins
Andrey Malikov's defamation case
Criminal case
Andrey Malikov's defamation case
Details and sources
Full summary
Entrepreneur from Belgorod, author of MALIKOVЪ Telegram channel. From 2013 to 2018, served as a deputy of the Belgorod City Council from the Civil Platform party. In his channel, he actively criticises the governor of Belgorod Region and local officials.
Since spring 2024, four current and former officials of the Belgorod Region government have filed defamation claims against Malikov. On 30 May 2024, he was summoned by the police to give explanations on a statement from the Minister of Public Communications Oksana Tarantova. On 3 July 2025, the blogger said that he was summoned to the police station again: Minister of Financial Policy and Budget Natalia Sharolapova and former vice-governor of the region Vladimir Bazarov (in February 2025, he left his position and moved to work in the government of the Kursk Region) filed complaints against him. Several days later, Malikov had to testify because of a similar statement mde by Minister of Culture Maxim Shaposhnikov. All the officials were unhappy about the blogger's posts about them and their work.
On 11 July 2025, the publication Lantern reported that a defamation case had been initiated against Malikov due to a statement made by Bazarov. The reason for criminal prosecution was a post in which it was claimed that the official had been detained and taken into custody. The Investigative Committee called this information false.
On 16 July, the news got out about yet another criminal case against Malikov. According to Shaposhnikov's statement, he was prosecuted for insulting a representative of the authorities because of the post from April 2025.
In addition, in early June 2025, proceedings were initiated against the blogger for failure to execute a court decision due to non-payment of debt by his company "Steelbox". According to the bailiffs, they initiated enforcement proceedings and recovery measures, but the debt remained unpaid. Malikov himself insisted that by the time the case was initiated he had signed a settlement agreement with the plaintiff and repaid the debt.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 128.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.