The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation has approved the verdict of the ex-head of FBK Volkov in the case of extremism

The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation upheld the verdict of the former head of FBK (an organization recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) Leonid Volkov (recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent, included in the list of terrorists and extremists of Rosfinmonitoring), who was previously sentenced in absentia to 18 years in prison. This was reported on May 26 by a correspondent of Izvestia from the courtroom.

Volkov was found guilty of a number of crimes. Among them are the organization and financing of an extremist community, the justification of terrorism, the involvement of minors in life—threatening activities, the creation of an NGO that encroaches on the personality and rights of citizens, the rehabilitation of Nazism, the spread of fakes about the Russian army, as well as fraud and vandalism.

The former head of FBK must spend the first five years in prison, and the rest of his term in a high-security penal colony. He was also fined 2 million rubles and banned from website administration for six years.

Volkov was put on the wanted list in September 2021.

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On April 3, 2025, a source from Izvestia announced the detention of Volkov on suspicion of financing an extremist organization.

Later, on June 11, Volkov was sentenced in absentia to 18 years in a penal colony for extremism, fakes about the army and other crimes. In addition, the Second Western District Military Court imposed a fine of 2 million rubles and a ban on website administration for six years.