Meduza’s sources say prosecution of popular Russian Communist was planned before his election defeat
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court has ordered Oleg Mikhailov, a former State Duma deputy and former head of the Communist Party’s Komi branch, held in pretrial detention. He is charged with justifying terrorism over a post supporting imprisoned political scientist Boris Kagarlitsky and faces up to seven years in prison. Mikhailov built one of the Communist Party’s strongest regional branches,…
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court has ordered former State Duma deputy and Communist Party leader Oleg Mikhailov to be held in pretrial detention. He faces charges of justifying terrorism after supporting imprisoned political scientist Boris Kagarlitsky, with a potential sentence of up to seven years in prison. Mikhailov, who built one of the Communist Party’s most successful regional branches, faced criticism for voting for repressive laws after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Kremlin allegedly pressured Mikhailov and the Communist Party to investigate him, with the Federal Security Service monitoring his social media accounts since 2024. Mikhailov, a biology graduate and former Communist Party leader, had a history of challenging local authorities and advocating for environmental causes. Despite his efforts, he failed to win reelection to the State Duma in September 2026 and was detained at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport upon his return from vacation.
Written by urgent.news from Meduza (English)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
