Russian Crackdown on Dissent: Online Critic Jailed for Opposition to Ukraine Invasion

In a concerning move, a Russian court sentenced Nikolai Farafonov to six years in prison for expressing dissent against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through online messages. Farafonov, aged 35, was convicted of “public incitement to commit terrorist acts” by a military court in the northern Komi region, following his publication of videos and messages advocating the burning of military recruitment offices.

His case underscores Moscow’s tightening grip on public criticism of the conflict, with several arson attacks on such premises reported since the war’s onset. Farafonov, described as a political prisoner by the NGO Memorial, ran a Telegram channel openly hostile to the conflict, discussing issues like Russian casualties in Ukraine and political repression. Despite facing previous fines for criticizing the Army, Farafonov persisted in his opposition until his arrest last September on charges of “terrorism incitement.”