Yabloko deputy leader convicted over anti-war social media posts
A look back at the conviction of Maxim Kruglov, who faced seven years in prison over his anti-war stance online.
What happened to anti-war dissent in Russia on 24 June 2026? On that date, Maxim Kruglov, deputy leader of the Yabloko party, was convicted and became liable to a seven-year prison term over his anti-war stance on social media, including remarks about the Russian Army.
The case was listed among the anti-war protests in Russia, a category of dissent that began after the Russo-Ukrainian war escalated on 24 February 2022. Demonstrations broke out across Russia after that date. Petitions and open letters were also written in opposition to the war, and a number of cultural and political figures released statements against it.
Kruglov's conviction concerned expression online rather than a street demonstration. The reported sentence of seven years was tied to his social media comments, among them remarks about the Russian Army.
Protests against the Russian invasion of Ukraine have taken place simultaneously in many places around the world, including in Russia and in Russian-occupied Ukraine. The verdict against a deputy leader of a registered party showed how the opposition to the war was being treated in Russian courts on 24 June 2026.
