Valentin Shliakov
Valentin Shliakov, born 1977, Moscow. Charges: Article 298.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code (Defamation of law enforcement and judicial personnel); “Valentin Shliakov's case of defamation of a judge”. Sentenced on October 5, 2023; previously convicted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code; Article 280 part 2, Russian Criminal Code. Status: at large.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Bloggers · Terrorism cases, Extremism cases
Sentence
Mandatory community service
Upheld November 17, 2024
Other verdicts
- August 4, 2022 — 4 years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony
Charges
- Article 298.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code — Defamation of law enforcement and judicial personnel
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
- Article 280 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public calls for extremism (using mass media or the internet)
Full wording of the charges
The reason for the defamation case was one of the videos on Shliakov's channel, where the blogger spoke about corruption in the judiciary system. In particular, he stated that the judge of the Vyborgskii District Court of St. Petersburg, Zinaida Volkova, took a bribe of 10 million rubles (around $127,000) for changing the measure of restraint.
Latest event
August 15, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Imprisonment begins
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict, released from serving the sentence
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 4 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Valentin Shliakov's case
Criminal case
Valentin Shliakov's case of defamation of a judge
- Case number
- 01-0077/2023
Valentin Shliakov's case
Details and sources
Full summary
Shliakov is a Moscow-based blogger who runs an opposition YouTube channel with almost 25,000 subscribers.
In 2017, Shlyakov was detained by police over a “New Opposition” march. In 2020, he took part in the Khabarovsk protests, for which he was given ten days of administrative arrest. He was also among those detained on 2 February 2021, the day of Alexei Navalny’s trial.
A case on incitement to extremism was opened against him in the summer of 2021, he was taken into custody on 19 August, and on 26 August he was added to the register of extremists and terrorists of Federal Financial Monitoring Service. In November 2021, it became known about the second criminal case - on incitement to terrorism.
On 10 November it became known that he was sentenced to 4 years in prison on both charges.
In January 2023 it became known about the third criminal case - on defamation of a judge. On 5 October he was sentenced.
On 15 August 2025, Shliakov was released.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.