Earlier today, Russia’s Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg sentenced activist Leonid Melekhin to six years in a penal colony on charges of “justifying terrorism,” according to a report by the independent outlet Mediazona. Melekhin was deported from the United States to Russia last summer after being denied political asylum.
The criminal case against Melekhin stemmed from a post in the Telegram channel “Bobr. There and back (an immigration diary),” run by fellow Perm activist Leonid Bobrov. The post showed Melekhin shortly after he crossed into the United States alongside an image of a poster depicting a mannequin hanging by a rope and a photograph of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The poster read:
“V.V. Putin is a murderer, fascist and usurper. All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing. Hang the fascist.”
The post appeared in August 2024, the same month Melekhin tried to enter the United States through the Mexican border in the hopes of receiving political asylum. He was placed in immigration detention before being denied asylum in the summer of 2025 and then arrested after being deported back to Russia.
Melekhin’s trial had been held behind closed doors since early May. Prosecutors later added a second count over an online comment whose contents have not been disclosed. Both episodes were classified as justification of terrorism under Russian law.
Before leaving Russia, Melekhin had repeatedly been detained by police for taking part in protests. The detentions continued through late 2023, prompting him to emigrate.
