Court sentences late opposition activist’s daughter to four years in prison in absentia
The court also banned Zhanna Nemtsova from administering websites and online resources for eight years
MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. A Moscow court sentenced Zhanna Nemtsova (designated as a foreign agent in Russia), the daughter of politician and late opposition activist Boris Nemtsov, to four years in a penal colony in absentia for heading her late father's organization, which is tagged as undesirable in Russia, a TASS correspondent reported from the courtroom.
"Zhanna Nemtsova is hereby sentenced to four years of imprisonment to be served in a general-regime penal colony. This sentence shall be considered one in absentia. The term of imprisonment shall be calculated from the moment the convicted person is detained in Russia or extradited," the verdict said. The court also banned Nemtsova from administering websites and online resources for eight years.
During the hearing, both parties stated that the case against Nemtsova was initiated due to the activities of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, which was deemed undesirable in Russia. The woman is the head of the foundation. According to the prosecution, Nemtsova was fully aware that the foundation had been designated an undesirable organization, a fact she herself acknowledged in an interview with a Nizhny Novgorod media outlet. Nevertheless, she continued to lead the organization after it was added to the registry of undesirable organizations. For his part, Nemtsova’s lawyer, Alexey Tsvetkov, stated that the prosecution failed to conduct the necessary expert examination of the case and did not provide documents confirming that Zhanna Nemtsova is the head of the foundation.
The activist was convicted under Article 284.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (Organizing the Activities of an Organization that was Designated as Undesirable in Russia). She was arrested in absentia on Russian territory.
The Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom, also known as Boris Nemzow Stiftung fur die Freiheit, is based in Bonn in Germany and engages in educational, cultural, and expert projects. In 2024, the organization was declared undesirable in Russia. Nemtsova currently lives in Germany.