Russia’s Supreme Court left unchanged the sentence of 68-year-old dissident Alexander Skobov: 16 years of imprisonment in a case on “justifying terrorism” and participation in the activities of a “terrorist community.” SOTAVision reported this.
Speaking to the court by video link, Skobov said he supported filing a cassation appeal in order to urge European countries to “enter the war and defeat the Russian Federation.”
“Death to the Russian-fascist invaders! Death to Putin, the new Hitler!”, the dissident said, after which the judge interrupted him. He then called Russia his “armed enemy.”
Alexander Skobov is a dissident with left-wing views who openly criticized the political system under Brezhnev, Andropov, Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and especially under Putin. During the Soviet period, he was repeatedly accused of “anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda” and was twice forcibly placed in a psychiatric hospital. A pacifist, Skobov opposed the war in Afghanistan, the wars in Chechnya, and the war in Ukraine.
In April 2024, Skobov was arrested on charges of “justifying terrorism” because of his participation in the “Forum of Free Russia.” In addition, the dissident was charged under an administrative protocol for participating in the activities of an “undesirable organization,” also in connection with his participation in the forum.
While in pretrial detention, 67-year-old Skobov’s chronic illnesses worsened and his eyesight deteriorated sharply. In March 2025, he was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment.