A new criminal case under the “foreign agent” article has been opened against the creator of Angry Chuvashia and former coordinator of Navalny’s Cheboksary headquarters

A new criminal case under the “foreign agent” article has been opened against the creator of Angry Chuvashia and former coordinator of Navalny’s Cheboksary headquarters

The Investigative Committee in March opened a second criminal case against Semyon Kochkin under the article on evading the duties of a “foreign agent” (Part 2, Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code). He himself told OVD-Info about it.

🟧 This time, the reason for the prosecution was his failure to submit quarterly “foreign agent” reports to the Justice Ministry in 2025.

🟧 On April 24, Kochkin was arrested in absentia. Six days later, his case was submitted to the Moskovsky District Court of Cheboksary, and on May 26 it began to be considered on the merits.

🟧At the same time, cases under Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code fall under the jurisdiction of justices of the peace.

🟧 Lawyer Anatoly Petrov, appointed by the state, is participating in the case as defense counsel. Kochkin has been unable to contact him: the lawyer has not responded to his messages.

“In the new case, I now have a court-appointed lawyer. I don’t know him and, of course, did not hire him myself. I found his WhatsApp, but so far there’s no reply, possibly because of the blocks,” the activist said on social media.

The prosecution of Semyon Kochkin

The activist left Russia in 2021, after the Anti-Corruption Foundation and Navalny’s headquarters were banned. In 2022, he was added to the list of “foreign agents.”

After leaving, he spoke about pressure from security forces on his sister, who had visited him abroad.

In December 2025, Kochkin was sentenced in absentia to two years in a penal colony on charges of discrediting the army, participating in an extremist organization, and evading the duties of a “foreign agent.”

Kochkin was charged with discrediting the army over posts by Angry Chuvashia, and with participation in an extremist organization over publications about the work of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and Navalny’s underground headquarters. The “foreign agent” article was brought against him at the time because he did not label his posts as those of a “foreign agent.”

The activist was also accused of repeatedly displaying banned symbols because of mentions of the Freedom of Russia Legion. But that charge never made it to court.

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Semyon Kochkin / Photo: social media