Zayakin, co-founder of Dissernet, was sentenced in absentia to five years in a penal colony.

Andrey Zayakin, co-founder of the Dissernet community (listed in the register of foreign agents of the Russian Federation), was found guilty of financing extremist activities and sentenced in absentia to five years in prison. His lawyer Mikhail Biryukov informed Izvestia about this on June 25.

It is specified that the trial takes place without the participation of the defendant.

The Dissernet community was founded in February 2013. His activity consists in conducting examinations of candidate's and doctoral theses defended in Russian scientific and educational institutions.

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Earlier, on October 29, 2022, the Russian Interior Ministry put Zayakin on the federal wanted list. A criminal case was opened against him under Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code ("Financing extremist activities"). He is charged with transferring funds from the liquidated non-profit organization Foundation for the Fight against Corruption (FBK; entered into the register of non-governmental organizations and recognized as an extremist organization whose activities are prohibited in Russia).