Leonid Gozman

A politician, public figure, and psychologist. Formerly one of the leaders of the “Union of Right Forces” party and later of “Right Cause.” In April 2022, a case was opened against him for failing to notify authorities of foreign citizenship, though this became publicly known only on 15 July. The politician was detained and interrogated by the Investigative Committee, after which he was released (https://tffvoufz---mekodxpr-bsccljbcrq-ez.a.run.app/express-news/2022/07/15/v-moskve-zaderzhali-i-uvezli-v-sledstvennyy-komitet-politika-leonida-gozmana). Gozman was detained again on 25 July, after which it was reported that he was wanted. However, he was subsequently released, and the investigator apologised, stating that it was a mistake.

On 30 August, Gozman was arrested for 15 days under the article on equating the actions of the USSR and Nazi Germany (Part 1, Article 13.48 of the Code of Administrative Offences) due to a Facebook post (https://tffvoufz---mekodxpr-bsccljbcrq-ez.a.run.app/express-news/2022/08/30/politika-leonida-gozmana-arestovali-na-15-sutok-iz-za-posta-v-feysbuke). On 13 September, he was detained upon leaving the temporary detention centre, and the next day arrested for the same period under Part 2 of the same article (repeat offence) because of a post dated 2013 (https://tffvoufz---mekodxpr-bsccljbcrq-ez.a.run.app/express-news/2022/09/14/sud-v-moskve-arestoval-politika-leonida-gozmana-na-15-sutok-za-publikaciyu). After this, Gozman left Russia.

In December 2023, it became known that a case had been opened against Gozman for knowingly spreading false information about the Armed Forces. On 11 July 2024, he was sentenced in absentia to eight and a half years for this case.

In January 2025, Gozman was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s list of extremists and terrorists, with a note indicating individuals prosecuted under terrorist charges. It was later reported that a case had been opened against him for publicly justifying terrorism, due to his statements in an interview with Bild na russkom about Ukrainian drone attacks and the explosion on the Crimean Bridge.

On 14 October 2025, the FSB announced the opening of a case against Gozman and other members of the “Russian Anti-War Committee” for the violent seizure of power and organising the activities of a terrorist community. The pretext was the adoption of the “Berlin Declaration” calling for a change of power in Russia.

On 14 November, the court sentenced Gozman in absentia to ten years in a penal colony for publicly justifying terrorism. The sentence was set to run concurrently with the punishment under the case concerning military “fakes.”