Konstantin Ponomarev

Resident of Moscow, entrepreneur. On 27 April 2015, a tax evasion case was initiated against Ponomarev. On 6 June 2017, cases of knowingly false denunciation and fraud were opened, Ponomarev was detained. On 9 July 2019, he was sentenced to eight years in a general regime colony on the false denunciation case. On 9 December 2020, he was sentenced to ten years and two months on tax evasion and fraud cases by adding up the sentences. Human rights activists consider his prosecution a punishment for trying to capitalise on Crimea's energy supply and a signal to entrepreneurs not to try to sue for their money. On 4 July 2024, the term was reduced by two years due to a change in the law. However, at that time the court was already considering a new case against Ponomarev on the theft of bank promissory notes. In September 2025, he was sentenced to 14 years in a strict regime colony, taking into account the previous terms. After that, the prosecutor's office appealed the verdict, demanding to release Ponomarev from the execution of the sentence due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. But another case was opened against him on bribing an official. His lawyer Roman Eronov is also a defendant on the case. According to the investigation, they were involved in a bribery scheme intended to have Ponomarev sent to the war.