Press Release, 3.06.2026

Photo: Grigory Yavlinsky and Maxim Kruglov, 2019 / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Today, 3 June, the Zamoskvoretsky Court of Moscow continued hearing the criminal case brought against Yabloko Deputy Chairman Maxim Kruglov. He is charged with spreading “fake news” about the Russian Armed Forces (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code) in connection with posts on social media; the politician has been held in custody since 1 October 2025. A chronology of the previous court hearings, at which witnesses from United Russia appeared for the prosecution, is available here and here.

Around 50 people came to support Maxim in court on 3 June: Maxim’s Yabloko colleagues, politicians, friends, journalists, and representatives of diplomatic missions.

Among those present were Alexander Shishlov, Coordinator of the Yabloko Federal Political Committee, who had travelled specially from St. Petersburg; Ivan Bolshakov, head of Yabloko’s Analytical Centre; Kirill Goncharov, Chairman of the party’s Moscow branch; Yury Shein, Deputy Chairman of Moscow Yabloko; members of the Bureau of Moscow Yabloko; and Alexei Akimenko, a member of the Yabloko Bureau in Bashkortostan, who had come to Moscow specially from Ufa.

This was the fourth substantive hearing; the court is currently at the stage of examining evidence presented by the defence, which is represented by lawyers Sergei Badamshin and Natalia Tikhonova.

The witness for the defence was Grigory Yavlinsky, Chairman of Yabloko’s Federal Political Committee. The moment he rose up to speak, he turned to Maxim Kruglov, who was seated to the right in the dock, and gave a broad wave. The defendant rose, smiling, and gave a respectful nod.

Yavlinsky began by recounting that he had first met Maxim in 2008, when the young political analyst joined Yabloko’s staff. Asked by the court whether he had any reason to give false testimony, Yavlinsky replied: “There is no reason to give false testimony, but there is every reason to help”.

“Over 18 years of personal acquaintance, I can state with certainty: Maxim Kruglov has always respected the law, not out of fear of punishment, but out of an understanding of its importance. He is composed. Well-educated. A patriot of his homeland — Russia,” Yavlinsky said. “Maxim Kruglov is a peaceful, civilised politician. I can say only good things about him as a person who consistently defends his position through exclusively civilised means.”

The Yabloko leader firmly rejected the motive of political hatred attributed to Kruglov:

“Our shared task is to build a peaceful life in a state where human rights and freedoms are valued above all else. Maxim Kruglov has always adhered to these principles. Moreover, he took part in developing them and translating them into real life. The work of every Yabloko member is grounded in the rejection of violence and enmity, of extremism and terrorism, and in a position of respect for the Russian person. There has never been any ‘motive of political hatred’ in Kruglov’s work. Yabloko is a legal party, operating within the legal framework of the Russian Federation.”

Yavlinsky also emphasised that Yabloko mourns the loss of life and opposes the commission of any crimes, including war crimes.

“Yabloko’s position is public and unwavering: we consistently call for an immediate ceasefire and the start of peace negotiations. This is not a matter of sympathies or antipathies. It is a matter of saving lives,” Yavlinsky said.

Grigory Yavlinsky spoke for 12 minutes, and the judge did not interrupt him.

The defence lawyers, Maxim Kruglov, and the prosecution then questioned Yavlinsky in turn. The discussion touched, in particular, on Yabloko’s political opponents — including the Young Guard of United Russia, whose members had previously given testimony against Kruglov — on Yabloko’s position, on Yavlinsky’s presidential candidacies, and, again, on the principle that political activity does not constitute political hatred.

At the very end, when the court asked whether Grigory Yavlinsky wished to add anything, he looked steadily at the judge and nodded. “I wish that all decisions taken should be honest and open, so that no one need feel ashamed of them afterwards,” he said.