The deputy chairman of Yabloko was sentenced to 7 years in the case of “fake news”

The reason for criminal prosecution was the politician’s publications about the events in Bucha

On June 24, the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow sentenced the deputy chairman of the Yabloko party, Maxim Kruglov, to seven years in a general regime colony in the case of disseminating “fakes” about the Russian army. Mediazona reported this.

In addition to imprisonment, the court banned Kruglov from administering Internet resources for three years. The state prosecution asked that the policy be sentenced to eight years in prison.

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The case was opened due to two publications

The criminal case against Kruglov became known in October 2025. Since then, the politician has been under arrest.

The reason for the persecution was two publications in his Telegram channel. In one of them, Kruglov wrote about the events in Bucha, in another he published a photograph of the destroyed Mariupol and talked about the dead civilians with reference to UN data.

Kruglov did not admit guilt. During the trial, the defense insisted that the publications contained no signs of hatred, aggression or deliberately false information.

In his last word, the politician stated that when preparing the publication about the dead civilians, he used UN data as a reliable source of information. Speaking about the destruction in Mariupol, he emphasized that he used the wording “apparently,” which indicates an assumption.

“This is hell, it’s impossible not to talk about it, an investigation is necessary. How is this spreading deliberately false information?” - said Kruglov in the last word.

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Prosecution witnesses testified at the trial

According to journalists, witnesses for the prosecution were an employee of the State Budgetary Institution “Zhilischnik”, who initially introduced himself as a political scientist, as well as a supporter of the “Young Guard of United Russia”.

Relatives, friends and associates of the politician came to the announcement of the verdict. Among those present was the founder and former head of the party, Grigory Yavlinsky.

Maxim Kruglov holds the post of deputy chairman of the Yabloko party. From 2019 to 2024, he headed the party faction in the Moscow City Duma. In addition to political activities, Kruglov taught comparative political science at the State Academic University for the Humanities.

Previously, “Verstka” reported that in the first two years of the war, Russian courts imposed fines for “discrediting” the army and “fake news” about it in the amount of 240 million rubles. Among those fined are both Russians and foreigners.

Photo: Maxim Kruglov at a court hearing, April 2026. Courts of general jurisdiction of the city of Moscow

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