The Rodniki District Court in Ivanovo Region will hear an administrative case brought by Russia's Prosecutor General's Office seeking to label a bakers' association as "extremist," Kommersant reports.
The defendants named in the case include Latvian and Ukrainian nationals Normunds Bomis and Tetyana Prikhodko, along with their businesses: SIA Lielezers (based in Limbazhi, Latvia), Riga Khlib and Khlibnyi Gurman (operating in Chernihiv and Kyiv, Ukraine), and the Riga-based Ziedot.lv foundation.
Lielezers, a trading network, focuses on producing and selling bakery and flour goods. Among its holdings is Riga Bread, located in Rodniki, Ivanovo Region. Bomis holds a 50% stake in the company, with the remaining shares owned by Russian citizen Sergey Sirenko.
Kommersant notes that in 2022, Bomis publicly opposed Russia's invasion of Ukraine and urged Sirenko to halt Riga Khlib's operations and sell its assets, directing the proceeds abroad. After Sirenko refused, Bomis attempted to remove the company's equipment but was blocked by law enforcement.
Prikhodko owns Khlibnyi Gurman, a Ukrainian bakery producer. Prosecutors allege that she and Bomis engage in "extremist activities undermining Russian state interests."
The Prosecutor General's Office claims Bomis funds Ukraine's Azov unit using bakery profits and has promoted EU fundraising efforts for Ukraine's armed forces. Prikhodko is accused of sharing content that "discredits" Russia's government and military.
According to prosecutors, the group "publicly justifies terrorist acts by Ukrainian militant groups, fuels ethnic and social hostility, and promotes the alleged superiority of Ukrainian citizens."
Authorities seek to ban the "extremist" association and reclaim its assets—specifically, the 50% stake in Riga Bread—for Russia.