Russia's Ministry of Justice designated popular fiction writer Grigori Chkhartishvili (pen name Boris Akunin) a "foreign agent" for his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ministry said Jan. 12 that Chkhartishvili "opposed the special military operation in Ukraine," citing his Facebook posts. In one post, he wrote, "Russia is ruled by a psychologically deranged dictator and worst of all, it obediently follows his paranoia." (Jurist)

Russian lawmakers passed legislation Jan. 24 allowing the seizure of monetary assets and properties from individuals found to be in violation of laws pertaining to the dissemination of false information and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. (Jurist)

Election officials in Russia announced Feb 2 that they had found errors in the paperwork submitted by prominent opposition politician and anti-war proponent Boris Nadezhdin, after he provided the signatures of over 100,000 supporters, in an effort to secure his candidacy for the March elections.

The announcement by the Central Election Commission (CEC) comes just two days after Nadezhdin submitted the signatures, so he could register as a candidate. The presidential hopeful has emerged as a pro-peace voice in Russia, and recently stated:

My nomination was supported by hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens around the world. And they signed not so much for me, but for themselves and for the future of their children – people saw an opportunity to legally speak out for peace and support democratic values.

Deputy chairman of the CEC Nikolai Bulaev said in his statement that the CEC had found errors in the applications of both Nadezhdin and the nominee for the Communists of Russia party Sergei Malinkovich. One of the allegations is that the signatures are from deceased individuals. (Jurist)

A Moscow court issued an arrest warrant in absentia on Feb. 6 for exiled novelist Grigori Chkhartishvili (pen name Boris Akunin) over his criticism of Russia's war against Ukraine. Accused of "justifying terrorism" and spreading "fake news" about the Russian army, Akunin, who has resided outside Russia since 2014, faces charges initiated last month by Russian law enforcement. (Jurist)

Russia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) banned opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin on Feb. 8 from the upcoming presidential election ballot. The commission made its decision after invalidating more than 9,000 signatures of support, leaving Nadezhdin short of the 95,000 valid signatures required to be listed on the ballot under Russian law. (Jurist)

Renowned Russian scientist Alexander Kuranov received a seven-year sentence in a high-security prison on Apri 18 for state treason, according to the press service of the Courts of St. Petersburg.

Kuranov, who formerly headed a state research institute in St. Petersburg overseeing the Ayaks hypersonic aircraft program, was arrested in 2021 at the age of 73. The charges against him alleged collaboration with and divulgence of scientific advancements to foreign entities. (Jurist)

The Krasnoflotsky District Court has placed Forbes journalist Sergei Mingazov under house arrest, according to reports in Russias state media. Mingazov is accused of disseminating "fake" news on his Telegram account and criticizing Russian military operations in Ukraine. The posts on Mingazov's Telegram included reposts from April 2022 of allegations that Russian forces killed civilians in Bucha. (Jurist)