Artur Smolianinov
- Criminal Code
- Article 205.4 (part unknown), Russian Criminal CodeArticle 207.3 part 2 items b, d, Russian Criminal CodeArticle 278, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Anti-war casesTerrorism casesCases against "foreign agents"
- Verdict
- Ban on activity, Imprisonment (in absentia)
- Sentence
- 8 years
- Date of verdict
- 2026-04-14
- Region
- Moscow
- City
- Moscow
Case summary
Actor, left Russia after the outbreak of war. In January 2023, he was included in the register of "foreign agents". In the same month, a case was opened against him, as it turned out later - about "fakes" about the Armed Forces and incitement to hatred. This was done on the personal instructions of the head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. Presumably, the reason was an interview with Novaya Gazeta. Europe", in which Smolyaninov said that he felt "nothing but hatred" towards the Russian military in Ukraine. In February 2026, the case was brought to court only under the article on "fakes".
On 14 October 2025, the FSB reported the initiation of a case against Smolyaninov and other members of the "Anti-War Committee of Russia" for violent seizure of power and organisation of activities of a terrorist community. The reason was the adoption of the "Berlin Declaration" on the need for a change of power in Russia.
On 14 April 2026, Smolyaninov was sentenced in absentia to eight years in the "fakes" case.
Others charged under Article 205.4 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
What we write about political persecution
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Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
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