In a recent decision by Moscow’s Military Court, Russian writer Boris Akunin, famed for his literary works under the real name Grigori Chkhartishvili, was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison. The court found him guilty of failing to adhere to “foreign agent” regulations, fostering terrorist activities, and justifying terrorism. In addition to imprisonment, Akunin was fined 400,000 rubles, roughly equivalent to $5,000, and is restricted from managing webpages for four years after serving his sentence. He has also been added to Russia’s register of terrorists and extremists. JURIST.
Akunin, who has openly criticized the Russian regime, reacted to the verdict with sarcasm on his Telegram account, jokingly bidding farewell to his audience by stating his next update would be in 2043. However, mocking his own statement, he posted again the following day, expressing a change of heart.
The case against Akunin included accusations that he made 33 Telegram posts without informing his audience of his “foreign agent” status. His writings advocating revolution against the current government, perceived by authorities as justifying terrorism, included statements such as, “I have been a revolutionary for a long time. But now I support revolution because there is no other way to get rid of the dictatorship.”
A further charge claimed he engaged in a conversation with pranksters posing as Ukrainian officials, where he expressed regret over the Crimean Bridge attack but conceded there might be no alternative, while urging for more active encouragement for Russian soldiers to surrender. This interaction reportedly contributed to accusations of facilitating terrorist activity.
Sentencing in absentia for politically sensitive charges has become a troubling norm in Russia. In another similar move, the court sentenced opposition figure Leonid Volkov to 18 years in absentia just last June, highlighting the continued political crackdown by the Russian government. Euronews.