A Moscow military court on Tuesday sentenced an ex-policeman to 14 years of imprisonment and a fine of 250,000 rubles (approximately $3,000) for alleged anti-war graffiti and communications with Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL).

Konstantin Podoshvelev was arrested February 2024 under the charges of vandalism and damage of religious objects for allegedly writing “Polytech is in favor of murderers” on a wall of a polytechnical university and “РПЦ [Russian Orthodox Church] is in favor of murderers” on the walls of two churches.

In March 2025, prosecutors added a charge of participation in a terroristic organization for Podoshvelev’s alleged communication with the Freedom of Russia Legion—a paramilitary group of Russians sympathetic to Ukraine. The investigation established the graffiti to be an assignment from the Legion. Podoshvelev pled not guilty.

Podoshvelev informed the court that he was beaten, tortured and threatened with “torture, physical violence, harassment, and hold of his family hostage” if he did not self-incriminate during his arrest. He stated that he also received threats from law enforcement while in pre-trial detention. Earlier this month, independent human rights group Memorial added Podoshvelev to the list of political prisoners held in Russia. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, Mariana Katzarova, recently called for a release of political prisoners in Russia due to the concerns for their livelihood and safety.