Press Release, 30 March 2026

Photo: Maxim Kruglov at the hearing of the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow, 30 March 2026 / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

The Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow has for the fifth time considered the investigator’s application to extend the period of pre-trial detention of Yabloko Deputy Chairman Maxim Kruglov. In addition to his family members, Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov, Federal Bureau member Andrei Morev, Moscow Yabloko Deputy Chairman Yuri Shein, Moscow Yabloko Bureau member Andrei Lazarev, and dozens of Kruglov’s colleagues, friends, and students came to show their support for the politician.

The investigator asked for Maxim Kruglov’s detention to be extended by a further 24 days from 2 April. She explained that “the requested period of more than six months” was necessary in order to submit the materials to the public prosecutor’s office and the court, stressing that the extension of the arrest was required because Maxim Kruglov could allegedly “abscond” or “intimidate witnesses”.

Not a single factual basis for these so-called arguments was presented to the court. They were nothing more than the investigator’s speculations, defence lawyer Natalia Tikhonova told the court. She reminded the court that Kruglov had never evaded the investigation, had never been summoned by the investigator prior to his detention on 1 October 2025, and was a respected politician whose case file contained dozens of character references — from colleagues and even political opponents, from human rights advocates, writers, and public figures.

Defence lawyer Sergei Badamshin, for his part, stressed that the investigation’s application amounted to nothing more than red tape. Kruglov’s case comprised three volumes, one witness, and a single psychological and psychiatric assessment. It could not be considered “complex” by any measure — and yet Kruglov remained in isolation without any justification, with the investigation now seeking to extend his pre-trial detention beyond the six-month mark.

Photo: Maxim Kruglov’s mother, Yelena, and Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

Maxim Kruglov himself stated that he had not been informed of that day’s hearing. After a short recess, during which he read the investigator’s application, he addressed the court:

“The application contains one interesting phrase: ‘the investigation considers it impossible to complete the inquiry within six months’. Yet during all the months of my detention, no investigative actions have been carried out with me — only one assessment, and that is all. A month would have been more than enough.”

He went on to set out the arguments in favour of his release: he had no intention of absconding, and his international passport — to which the investigator repeatedly referred — was in the investigator’s possession. He spoke of his character references and political career, his family, and his place of residence.

He also stressed once again what he reiterates at every court hearing: he had always engaged in lawful political activities, which was now being conflated with political hatred.

“The investigator says that my crime is very grave — but there was no crime at all,” Kruglov said, repeating, almost word for word, what he has been saying at every hearing. “I am charged on the basis of a brief post on the Internet expressing sorrow at the loss of human life, published four years ago. As a lawful politician, a member of Yabloko, Deputy Chairman of the Yabloko party, a deputy of the Moscow City Duma of the seventh convocation, and leader of the Yabloko faction in the Moscow city parliament, I have always acted within the bounds of the Constitution and the rule of law, offering alternative positions to those of the current authorities. That is not a motive of political hatred. Expressing sorrow at the loss of human life is a normal human response and a Christian position. And if, three and a half years later, such a sentiment is considered dangerous — some grave crime undermining the foundations of power — that is deeply regrettable, alarming, and even tragic.”

The defence called for the remand measure to be lifted entirely; Maxim Kruglov asked for it either to be lifted or replaced with one not involving custodial detention.

The judge retired to the deliberation room at 17:45, at which point court officers ousted the public from the courtroom. At 17:55, a court officer appeared in the corridor and announced: “Please prepare to leave the court building, the court closes at 18:00, so do not forget your belongings”.

Everyone was duly sent outside, and at 18:10 defence lawyer Natalia Tikhonova announced: “By order of the Zamoskvoretsky District Court of Moscow, the investigation’s application has been granted and Maxim Kruglov’s detention has been extended, Maxim will remain in custody until 25 April 2026”.

Yabloko Chairman Nikolai Rybakov drew attention to the established and unlawful practices whereby the announcement of court rulings, or even entire hearings, formally open to the public, takes place behind closed doors. It should be noted that in January 2026, Yabloko submitted a complaint to the Supreme Court of Russia demanding an end to the practices of holding court hearings without public access.

“If we are indeed to have open justice, rulings must not be announced to an empty courtroom,” Nikolai Rybakov stressed. “Today, everyone saw it: the investigator speaks — and there are no arguments, no evidence, nothing that the law requires to be presented to a court. No one demonstrated to the court that the defendant should be held in custody; none of that took place. It was entirely perfunctory, and it was cynical. It is contempt for — and a trampling of — the judicial system. Then the defence lawyers speak, presenting entirely compelling, fact-based arguments that there are no grounds whatsoever for keeping the man in custody. The defendant himself speaks, explaining that no investigative actions have taken place and that he should not be in detention. And the judge nonetheless rules: ‘Remain in pre-trial detention’. Yabloko considers this case against Maxim to be politically motivated. He must be released.”

It should be noted that Maxim Kruglov has been deprived of his liberty since 1 October 2025, and has been under arrest since 2 October 2025, on charges of publicly spreading “fake news” about the armed forces (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). These charges have no factual basis whatsoever and form part of a campaign of political pressure against independent voices.