Political scientist Maria Snegovaya has been sentenced in absentia to seven years in a penal colony for spreading false information about the Russian military, Moscow prosecutors told Lenta.ru.
Snegovaya is currently located outside Russia and remains on an official wanted list, according to the capital prosecution service.
Russian law enforcement agencies initiated a criminal case against her in May 2026 under Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The offense covers the public dissemination of knowingly false information regarding the use of the Russian Armed Forces motivated by political hatred. In the same month, the Savelovsky District Court of Moscow approved a judicial order for her arrest in absentia.
Academic career and state designations
Snegovaya is a political scientist and economist who earned a candidate of economic sciences degree in Russia before completing a PhD in political science at Columbia University, an Ivy League research institution in New York City.
Russian authorities previously designated Snegovaya as a foreign agent under domestic legislation targeting individuals and groups receiving foreign funding or deemed under foreign influence.
She has also been added to the registry of extremists and terrorists maintained by Rosfinmonitoring, Russia's Federal Financial Monitoring Service. The executive body oversees financial intelligence in Russia, and inclusion on its official listing leads to the immediate freezing of domestic bank accounts and restrictions on property transactions.
Legal proceedings in absentia
Article 207.3 was incorporated into the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to penalize public reports about military actions that differ from official government statements. Part 2 of the statute applies when offenses are judged to be motivated by political hatred or hostility, carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
A trial in absentia allows Russian courts to hear evidence and hand down sentences against defendants who reside abroad and cannot be physically brought before the bench. The Savelovsky District Court is one of Moscow's municipal courts handling criminal cases within the capital.
Snegovaya's seven-year sentence in a penal colony will take effect if she returns to Russian territory or is extradited to face custody.
