Moscow activist Konstantin Kotov has been sentenced in absentia to five years in prison for donating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

The Savyolovsky District Court of Moscow has sentenced activist Konstantin Kotov in absentia to five years in a high-security penal colony over donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, reports Mediazona.

The prosecutor had asked for seven years’ imprisonment.

The activist was found guilty of financing extremist activity (Part 1, Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code) because of six donations of 500 rubles (about US$5) each that he sent to the Anti-Corruption Foundation from August 2021 to 2022.

Through his lawyer, Kotov told the court that he admitted to sending donations to the Foundation, but denied having any intention to finance extremism, stating that he “did not observe any signs of extremist organisation activity” in the foundation’s work. He insisted on his acquittal.

Kotov was detained and then placed under house arrest in August 2024. In January 2025, it became known that he had left Russia. He was then declared wanted by the authorities.

• In 2019, Kotov was sentenced to four years in a penal colony under the so-called Dadin article (Article 212.1 of the Criminal Code). He was accused of repeatedly violating “public assembly” laws for taking part in four protests not authorised by the authorities: gatherings in support of Azat Miftakhov and defendants in the “Network” and “New Greatness” cases, a march in support of Ivan Golunov, and a walk after a rally for fair elections, as well as calling people to join a protest against the exclusion of opposition candidates from elections to the Moscow City Duma.
• In 2020, the Constitutional Court ordered a review of Kotov’s conviction. The Prosecutor General’s Office then recommended shortening his sentence, and in April, the Moscow City Court reduced it to a year and a half. The activist was released in December of that year.