State of denial. Putin claims “no prison” for “foreign agents” in Russia, just as courts sentence his critics to prison terms—one of them literally today

Speaking at the council, Putin remarked that the concept of the “foreign agent” law originated in the US in the 1940s. “It wasn’t us who invented it”, he reiterated twice. 

Putin went on to claim that while violating the law in the US threatens imprisonment, in Russia “this isn’t the case”. According to him, Russian “foreign agents” are simply required to disclose sources of funding. 

“What is so scary about that? It seems to me there is nothing particularly scary here. Although we have addressed this topic many times: no one should go crazy with it, that is quite obvious. We shouldn’t be swinging this sword left and right; everything must be very balanced, careful, and without violations of any sort.”

This is demonstrably false. Contrary to Putin’s statement, Article 330.1 of the Russian Criminal Code—“evasion” of the duties of a “foreign agent”—explicitly provides for real prison sentences. And the threat is real: several public figures have recently received custodial sentences under this statute.

Yuri Dud, a prominent YouTube interviewer with over 10 million subscribers, has become the first person sentenced to prison under this law. On November 14, 2025, the court sentenced him in absentia to one year and 10 months in a general-regime penal colony. 

Dud, who lives in exile since the beginning of the war, faced charges based on three posts on his Telegram channel that lacked the mandatory “foreign agent” disclaimer. While the defense argued the posts covered everyday topics, the prosecution successfully argued they were motivated by “political hatred.” This criminal conviction followed a history of non-compliance; Dud had refused to post the required disclaimer since March 2024 and had previously been fined for similar administrative violations. His initial “foreign agent” designation was peculiarly due to his YouTube monetization revenue (foreign income) and interviews with other designated agents.

Boris Akunin, the renowned Russian detective novelist, was also sentenced in absentia last week. On December 3, a court imposed a one-year prison term specifically for his violation of “foreign agent” regulations. However, this sentence was combined with a prior conviction from July 2025, resulting in a total prison term of 15 years.

The earlier July conviction involved charges of “justifying terrorism” and “assisting terrorism”, as well as spreading “fake news” about the Russian army. Authorities based these charges on several public statements: Akunin’s remark “I am for revolution” and remarks made during a prank call with Russian scammers posing as Ukrainian officials. During that conversation, Akunin expressed understanding regarding the Crimean Bridge attack and discussed urging Russian soldiers to surrender.

Finally, today, December 9, politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced in absentia to one year and 10 months for violating “foreign agent” regulations. The sentencing concluded a trial marked by bureaucratic absurdity, as the proceedings were stalled for nearly three months after an Interior Ministry document erroneously listed Yashin as a “stateless person” banned from entering Russia—a legal impossibility for a Russian citizen. Judge Golubeva eventually ended the wait, remarking, “We see that no one wants to answer us,” after receiving only a local confirmation that Yashin holds a valid passport.

The charges themselves stemmed from Telegram posts lacking the mandatory disclaimer—posts that were published while Yashin was already incarcerated for a previous case. During the trial, State Prosecutor Ekaterina Drozdova acknowledged that Yashin legally had no prior convictions, as his previous 8.5-year sentence for spreading “fake news” about Bucha atrocities was annulled by his August 2024 presidential pardon and prisoner exchange with the West. Despite his clean legal record, the prosecutor requested a near-maximum sentence, citing a motive of “political hatred.”