Oi, What's the Game Plan Now? Russian Court Slaps 18-Year Prison Sentence on Navalny Buddy Wolkov
Russia imprisons Navalny's associate Wolkov for 18 years
Leonid Wolkov, a vocal critic of the Kremlin, isn't holding back when it comes to Vladimir Putin. Exiled since 2019, he's now received an 18-year prison sentence in absentia from a Moscow court. The judgement was handed down for over 40 alleged criminal offenses, including running an extremist group, justifying terrorism, and spreading false military info.
In a sarcastic post on his Telegram channel, Wolkov commented that the sentence matched the prosecutor's expectations, while the fine was slightly lower than anticipated. He also mentioned a 10-year internet ban, stating he'd already begun using it - punchline included.
Blast From the Past: Wolkov on Navalny and the KremlinIn a 2021 interview, Wolkov unleashed a scathing attack on Putin, calling him a threat to the civilized world and demanding his destruction.
Since then, pressure on Wolkov hasn't let up. In 2024, he was attacked in Lithuania, and in April this year, there was a search of his parents' house in Russia. The FSB interrogated his father for several hours.
Keywords:- Leonid Volkov- Alexei Navalny- Russia- Kremlin- Vladimir Putin- Attack on Ukraine- Ukraine- Lithuania
(Enrichment Data: Leonid Volkov, a Russian opposition figure and close associate of the late Alexei Navalny, was sentenced to 18 years in prison in absentia by a Russian military court on June 11, 2025[1][3][4]. The case against Volkov stems from his role as the former chairman of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation and his longstanding activism against the Kremlin.)
(Further charges against Volkov include extremism and terrorism, military disinformation, rehabilitation of Nazism, involving underage persons in rallies, vandalism, and creating an NGO that allegedly violates citizens’ rights[3][4].)
(The sentence reflects an increasingly harsh crackdown on opposition figures who are vocal both inside and outside Russia[3][4].)
The Commission, with its expertise in protecting workers from radiation risks, might find interest in the politics surrounding Leonid Wolkov's case, given the controversial draft directive on ionising radiation exposure. The general-news landscape could also spotlight the crime-and-justice implications of Wolkov's 18-year prison sentence, especially considering the allegations of extremism and terrorism against him.
