Russian police in Moscow have detained Oleg Mikhailov, who stood out in September's State Duma vote as the sole Komi candidate urging peace in Ukraine, on suspicion of justifying terrorism, Meduza reports, citing local media.
Mikhailov leads the Communist Party's branch in Komi and is a former member of the State Duma. According to the reports, the charge relates to a 2024 online post about the sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, who was jailed that year on the same charge. The offence carries a fine or a prison term of five to seven years.
The regional Communist Party confirmed his detention. A court is due to decide on 22 October whether he should remain in custody before trial. In September's election, Mikhailov came second in his Syktyvkar constituency to a candidate who had fought in the war in Ukraine.
Source: Meduza
