Former State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who left for Ukraine, became a defendant in a criminal case of treason, participation in a terrorist organization and public calls for terror, RIA Novosti reports, citing a source in law enforcement agencies.

“The FSB Investigation Department collected materials on the basis of which it opened cases against Ponomarev - about high treason in the form of switching to the enemy’s side, about participation in the activities of an organization recognized as terrorist in Russia, about public calls via the Internet to carry out terrorist activities and about public calls using the Internet for activities directed against the security of Russia. FSB investigators combined these cases into one proceeding,” said the agency’s interlocutor, without specifying details.

Ilya Ponomarev was a State Duma deputy from the A Just Russia faction. In 2014, he became the only Russian deputy to vote against the annexation of Crimea, and soon left the Russian Federation. In 2019, Ponomarev reported receiving Ukrainian citizenship. After the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, Ponomarev announced the creation of a center for “Russian armed opposition.”
In August 2022, it became known that a case was opened against Ponomarev for disseminating “fakes” about the Russian army and was arrested in absentia . In September 2022, journalists in several regions of Russia were searched , which were linked to the Ponomarev case.
In the spring of 2023, amendments to the Criminal Code were adopted in Russia, increasing penalties for treason up to life imprisonment.

Source RIA Novosti: cases of treason and calls for terror were opened against Ilya Ponomarev