Image Credit: RTVI
The Khoroshevsky District Court in Moscow has sentenced former State Duma deputy Dmitry Gudkov to eight years in a general regime penal colony, following his conviction for distributing false information about the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine. The court’s decision, rendered in absentia, also includes a four-year ban on Gudkov from website administration activities. The sentence will commence from his potential extradition to Russia or upon his detention in the country.
Gudkov, who has been residing abroad since 2021, was found guilty under clause “d” of part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code for spreading “military fakes” driven by political animosity. The charges were based on a video posted by Gudkov, which the prosecutor’s office claimed contained intentionally false information about the Russian Armed Forces. The video purportedly misrepresented the military’s conduct during the conflict, including allegations of targeting civilian infrastructure and involvement in mass murders in Ukrainian cities such as Bucha and Irpen. The Investigative Committee rejected these claims as provocations.
In response to the verdict, Gudkov expressed disillusionment and drew attention to the plight of political prisoners in Russia, criticizing the charges as part of a broader campaign against dissenting voices. His departure from Russia and role in the “Anti-War Committee of Russia”—an organization labeled undesirable by Russian authorities—highlight his continued opposition to the conflict and the current Russian government.