The Moscow court sentenced on Tuesday a father of five to three years of imprisonment on the charges of financing a terrorist organization. Dmitry Marsov was arrested in April this year for donating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation once a month from August to December 2021, totaling 1500 rubles (approximately $20).

The Anti-Corruption Foundation, an organization focusing on opposing Putin’s regime and corruption in Russia, was added to the list of extremist organizations in 2021. It originated under the headship of Alexei Navalny, who died in a Russian prison last year, just days before he was set to be released in a prisoner exchange. 

Marsov, who has medical issues, shared during his interrogation that he was unaware that the organization was identified as extremist. He stated that he unsubscribed from donations when he found out that most of the organizers of the Foundations had left the country and voiced their opinion against the government. Marsov’s lawyer explained his client’s donations as an attempt to show patriotism. Marsov assisted in the investigation and pleaded guilty.

Independent human rights project “Support of political prisoners. Memorial” also added Marsov to the list of political prisoners, while sharing that at least 30 people have been convicted on the charges of financing a terrorist organization for donating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation. 

On Wednesday, a Novosibirsk court fined a 22-year-old student, Piotr Uskov, 300,000 rubles (approximately $4,000) on the same charges for making seven donations totaling 2,100 rubles (approximately $30) to the Foundation in 2021. Uskov stated in court that he made donations out of false ideology that was inflicted by the Foundation, while sharing that he volunteers for members of the Russian forces participating in the Ukraine invasion.