Man from Tyumen jailed for 8 years for leaving $3.50 worth of Stars under banned Telegram posts

A man from Tyumen has been sentenced to eight years in a maximum-security penal colony for leaving $3.50 worth of virtual currency, known as Telegram Stars, under posts on banned Telegram channels. The 57-year-old, Mikhail Antonovich, was found guilty of financing terrorism by the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg, according to Mediazona.

Antonovich was detained in December 2025 and left Stars under posts on channels such as NEVZOROV, BEREZOVIEW, WAR IN UKRAINE, Nakipelo Michael Nacke, and Sasha Shpak Official. The investigators counted a total of 130 Stars with a value of 292.99 rubles, which is equivalent to $3.50.

The Memorial Human Rights Group claims that these channels were involved in "propaganda of terrorism and media support for the terrorist organizations the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps, and the Azov Brigade." The channels allegedly organized financing channels for the purchase of weapons and drone strikes on Russian territory, as well as terrorist attacks on Russian soil.

The content of the channels suggests that funds, including virtual currency Telegram Stars, were monetized and directed towards financing the activities of the mentioned terrorist organizations.

Memorial has appealed to Telegram founder Pavel Durov, requesting that he make paid reactions anonymous and take other measures to protect users from persecution by the Russian state.