October 20, 2026, 9:53 AMRSSRU

Lyubov Sobol

Not in RussiaChecked October 18, 2026

Lyubov Sobol, born 1987, Moscow. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the RF Armed Forces, government agencies or mercenaries…); “The case of Ivan Zhdanov, Ruslan Shaveddinov, Leonid Volkov and Lyubov Sobol”, opened on August 8, 2022. Previously convicted under Article 236 part 1, Russian Criminal Code; Article 236 part 1 applied with Article 33 part 4, Russian Criminal Code; Article 139 part 2, Russian Criminal Code. Status: not in Russia. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as persecuted on political grounds, November 1, 2021; Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, February 24, 2021.

In brief

Moscow · Moscow, Murmansk · Politicians · Anti-war cases, Extremism cases, Cases against "foreign agents", Cases against Navalny/ACF supporters, Cases related to mass actions

Sentence

5 months

Five months and twenty-six days' imprisonment in a general regime colony

Sentence changed April 20, 2022

First instance, August 2, 2021: One year six months imprisonment

Other verdicts

  • June 8, 2022 — Four months' imprisonment in a general regime colony

Charges

Full wording of the charges

According to the investigation, she incited the violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules in connection with the rally in support of Alexei Navalny on 23 January.

Latest event

August 8, 2022 — criminal case opened

The case of Ivan Zhdanov, Ruslan Shaveddinov, Leonid Volkov and Lyubov Sobol

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Criminal case opened

    The case of Ivan Zhdanov, Ruslan Shaveddinov, Leonid Volkov and Lyubov Sobol

  2. · First-instance verdict

    sentence changed

  3. · Added to the register of “foreign agents”

  4. · First-instance verdict

    sentence changed

  5. · Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”

  6. · Persecution ends

Criminal case

The case of an extremist community led by Navalny

Case number
01-0333/2021

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The case of the extremist community led by Navalny

Lubov Sobol's libel case

There are no other defendants in this case in the database.

The case of Ivan Zhdanov, Ruslan Shaveddinov, Leonid Volkov and Lyubov Sobol

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: Anti-war case; Beautiful Russia case

The case of Lubov Sobol

There are no other defendants in this case in the database.

Thematic group: Palace case; Sanitary case

Navalny's associates' fraud case

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: Alexei Navalny's case of fraud and contempt of court

Lubov Sobol's case of breaking into another person's home

There are no other defendants in this case in the database.

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

Former lawyer of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, including the RosPil project, producer of the Navalny LIVE channel, graduate of Moscow State University Law School. Author of investigations into anti-icing chemicals, the Vostochny cosmodrome and the mass poisoning of children in Moscow kindergartens. She has announced her nomination to the State Duma (lower house of Russian parliament).

On 21st December 2020, detained near the home of an FSB officer Konstantin Kudryavtsev, whom Alexei Navalny accused of involvement in his own poisoning. On December 23, she was fined one thousand rubles under the administrative article on disobedience to the lawful demands of police officers. On December 25, Sobol's home was searched, after which she was interrogated as part of a criminal case on violation of inviolability of the property with threat of violence. On April 5, during the trial in the case, the court removed Sobol from the courtroom until the end of the debate. However, the court did not prevent Sobol from participating in the sessions. On April 15, Sobol was sentenced to one year of correctional labour on probation. 27th of May, the court of appeal returned the case to the court of first instance for elimination of procedural violations. On June 8 the decision was left unchanged. In November, the Federal Penitentiary Service demanded to replace the suspended sentence with a real one. On December 2nd the court satisfied the submission of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). On 8 June 2022, the same court replaced correctional labour with four months of imprisonment.

On 27 January 2021, she was detained in a criminal case on violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules, her flat was searched. On January 29, the court sent Sobol under house arrest. Later she was charged with incitement to violate the rules. On April 7, a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions was chosen. On August 3rd she was sentenced to one and a half years of restriction of freedom. A few days later it became known that Sobol left Russia. In October, she was declared wanted. On 14 April 2022, the court changed her remaining sentence of five months and 26 days to imprisonment.

In September 2021, it became known that a case of extremist community activity had been opened against Sobol and other Navalny supporters. In October, it was reported that this case was merged with cases of money laundry, involvement of minors in dangerous activities, financing of extremist activities and establishment of a non-profit organisation infringing on the personality and rights of citizens. She was arrested in absentia in May 2022.

In October 2021, it was reported that a libel case was brought against Sobol because of a video about businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin.

In May 2022 she was included in the register of "foreign agents".

In August 2022, it became known that a case was brought against Sobol for spreading “deliberately false information” about the Russian Armed Forces.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Preventive measures
arrest in absentia
Persecution episodes
6
Sources (3)

Other people prosecuted under Article 128.1 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

All 9 under this article →

Lyubov Sobol — Political persecution — FACTUM.PRESS