Russia Sees Sharp Rise In Prosecutions Over Donations To Navalny Foundation

"Criminal prosecutions in Russia over donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), established by the late opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, have surged roughly 60-fold since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with courts handling at least 90 cases this year alone. Russian authorities designated the Anti-Corruption Foundation an "extremist organization" in 2021, effectively criminalizing any financial support for the group."

"Courts most often imposed fines ranging from 120,000 to 500,000 rubles ($1,522-$6,340) or handed down suspended prison sentences of three to four years. The donations cited in the cases were typically modest -- between 100 and 14,000 rubles ($1.20 -$178). In one case, prosecutors sought a fine of 12 million rubles ($152,000) for 69-year-old retiree Andrey Kuzhelev, who had donated 13,000 rubles ($164) to the foundation. The court rejected that demand but still imposed a fine of 500,000 rubles ($6,340)."

Prosecutions over donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) have surged since February 2022, driven by the group's 2021 designation as an "extremist organization" that criminalizes financial support. The FBK investigated corruption among senior officials and business elites close to President Vladimir Putin and continues operating from abroad despite Navalny's death in custody in February 2024. Courts handled two donation-related cases in 2022, four in 2023, 27 in 2024, and a sharp rise in 2025, bringing the cumulative total since the war began to at least 123 cases. Sentences typically include fines of 120,000–500,000 rubles or suspended prison terms; donations cited ranged from 100 to 14,000 rubles. Notable cases include a rejected 12 million ruble fine demand for a retiree (reduced to 500,000 rubles) and a 12-year jail sentence for a postal worker accused of donating to the FBK and allegedly cooperating with the Freedom of Russia Legion. Several convictions occurred in absentia.

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