Russian activist Mikhail Kriger gets seven years behind bars for ‘justifying terrorism’

Moscow activist Mikhail Kriger has been sentenced to seven years in prison, his support group Telegram channel reports.

In his final court address, the activist said that the social media posts are just a pretext for persecution. “I am persecuted for my initially anti-war and now openly pro-Ukrainian position which I do not hide but, on the contrary, try to show it as broadly as possible at any opportunity,” he stressed.

On 16 May, the state prosecutor asked the court for a nine-year prison sentence.

Kriger was arrested for “justifying terrorism” in November 2022. The criminal case was brought forward based on a two-year-old social media post that mentions Mikhail Zhlobitsky, who organised an explosion in the FSB Arkhangelsk office, and Yevgeny Manyurov, who opened fire near the FSB office in Moscow.

Kriger later faced tougher charges: incitement of hatred with a threat of violence. According to the investigation team, the man in a social media post threatened to use violence against Russian President Vladimir Putin and incited hatred against him.

Mikhail Kriger is known for his opposition activism in Moscow, he is a member of the Solidarity movement, and has been protesting against the Kremlin and political repressions for more than 15 years.