Slepakov Sentenced to 400 Hours for 'Foreign Agent' Posts
A court in Moscow sentenced comedian Semen Slepkov to 400 hours of community service for violating requirements for 'foreign agents' (part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code), according to 'Medialzone'.
Consensus
- Semen Slepakov was sentenced in absentia by a Moscow court to 400 hours of compulsory labor.
- The sentence was based on Article 330.1, Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code regarding violations of requirements for 'foreign agents'.
- The posts in question were published on Instagram in January 2026 without the required 'foreign agent' label.
- One of the posts was a satirical video parody of the song 'Matushka-Zemlya' with the line 'Dictatorship-dictator, eternal president!'
- Slepakov was added to the official register of 'foreign agents' in spring 2023.
- The prosecution requested the same 400-hour sentence.
- Slepakov's defense claimed he left Russia in 2022 and did not publish content within Russian jurisdiction.
- Slepakov was not notified of the court proceedings.
- The court case was held at the Lomosnovsky District Court No. 214 in Moscow.
- The prosecution cited prior administrative penalties against Slepakov for similar violations in June 2024 and April 2025.
- The court received information about Slepakov's whereabouts during the investigation through a tip during a federal manhunt.
Points of divergence
- The case became public in April 2026. — meduza
- Slepakov was twice administratively prosecuted for posting without the 'foreign agent' label within a year before the criminal case. — meduza
- Slepakov submitted a statement to the court claiming he left Russia in 2022, did not publish content in Russia, and was not informed of the trial. — mediazona
- The defense noted that only one post was listed in the inspection protocol, but the indictment referred to a period up to January 30. — mediazona
- Slepakov was placed on a federal wanted list on April 13, 2026, and arrested in absentia on April 24, 2026. — mediazona
- Prior to being added to the register, Slepakov received complaints over an ironic 'Lullaby' about a son joining the war in Ukraine under contract. — mediazona
- In 2024, the editor-in-chief of KVN TV was fined for featuring Slepakov without mentioning his 'foreign agent' status. — mediazona
- The court session was reported by a 'Mediazona' correspondent from Court No. 214, Lomosnovsky District, Moscow. — tg_radiosvoboda
- Slepakov is a former participant of KVN and Comedy Club, and a producer and screenwriter of 'Nasha Russia', 'Interns', and 'University'. — meduza
Coverage (3 sources)
- Comedian Semyon Slepakov was remotely sentenced to 400 hours of compulsory labor under a criminal article on failure to fulfill obligations... — Радио Свобода
- Semenu Slepakov assigned 400 hours of mandatory work in absentia for 'foreign agent' case — Meduza
- Comedian Semen Slepakov was remotely requested 400 hours of mandatory labor under an article for 'foreign agents' — Медиазона