(Adnkronos) – A Moscow court, on the eve of the Duma elections, confirmed the arrest in absentia of journalist Zhanna Nemtsova, daughter of Boris Nemtsov, a historic Russian liberal figure, former protégé of Boris Yeltsin and later an opponent of Vladimir Putin. Nemtsova, as reported by the Ria Novosti news agency, is accused of organizing the activities of an organization declared “undesirable” in Russia. The Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom was officially declared an “undesirable organization” by the Russian Ministry of Justice in April 2024.
“The sentence remains unchanged and the appeals are rejected,” the judge declared. Nemtsova has also been placed on the international wanted list. Last July 31, the Zamoskvoretsky court in Moscow had ordered two months of detention in absentia against her, based on Article 284.1, paragraph 3, of the Russian Criminal Code, which punishes the organization of activities of foreign or international organizations declared undesirable in the Russian Federation. Nemtsova’s defense had appealed the decision. For the alleged crime, Russian law provides for a penalty of up to six years in prison.
