A court in Russia sentenced activist Sergei Udaltsov to six years in prison on Thursday, in a ruling that underscores the Kremlin’s intensified repression of political dissent amid the war in Ukraine and growing criticism of President Vladimir Putin.

Udaltsov, a leader of the Left Front movement affiliated with the Communist Party, was convicted of “justifying terrorism.”

According to independent outlet Mediazona, the charges stem from an online article in which he expressed support for a group of activists previously accused of forming a terrorist organization. Earlier this month, members of that group received prison sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years.

The court ruled that Udaltsov will serve his sentence in a maximum-security penal colony. He rejected the accusations, calling the verdict “shameful,” and announced plans to begin a hunger strike in protest, Mediazona reported.

Who is Udaltsov

Udaltsov rose to prominence during Russia’s mass opposition protests in 2011 and 2012, which erupted over allegations of electoral fraud in parliamentary elections. At the time, he became one of the most visible left-wing critics of the Kremlin and even took part in a meeting with then-President Dmitry Medvedev in February 2012.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have sharply escalated their crackdown on dissent. Independent media outlets, civil society groups, human rights organizations and political activists have faced mounting pressure, arrests and prison sentences. 

Laws on extremism and terrorism have increasingly been used to silence criticism, even from figures who do not oppose the war outright.

In December 2023, a Moscow court sentenced Udaltsov to mandatory labor after he was detained in Red Square while attempting to unfurl a banner featuring Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. 

He was previously imprisoned in 2014 and served four and a half years for his role in organizing a 2012 protest against Putin that turned violent. He was released in 2017.

The latest conviction reflects a broader trend in Russia, where political space continues to shrink and dissenting voices face severe legal consequences under sweeping security laws.