The Moscow City Court upheld the arrest in absentia of comedian Semyon Slepakov.
The Moscow City Court hearing on the complaint filed by singer and comedian Semyon Slepakov* from Stavropol Krai was held behind closed doors.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot," on April 24, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow arrested Slepakov* on charges of evading his duties as a foreign agent.
A native of Stavropol Krai, comedian and singer Semyon Slepakov* was added to the list of foreign agents in April 2023. In September 2024, he received his first fine for violating the law on foreign agents in connection with unmarked posts on a Telegram channel. A Moscow court fined the artist 30,000 rubles. In April 2025, he was fined a second time, 45,000 rubles, and in September, fined again for failure to pay the fine. The artist attempted to appeal the fine, but the appellate court refused to consider his lawyer's complaint due to errors in the documents.
The Moscow City Court has upheld the in absentia arrest of comedian Semyon Slepakov* in the case of violating the duties of a foreign agent. "The previously chosen preventive measure will be left unchanged, and the appeal will be dismissed," TASS quotes the judge as saying at the hearing on May 20.
The complaint was heard behind closed doors, RIA Novosti reports.
Slepakov is charged under Part 2 of Article 330.1 of the Criminal Code, "Violation of the procedures for the activities of a foreign agent, committed after being brought to administrative responsibility," which carries a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison.
According to the prosecutor's office, Slepakov was fined twice within a year for failing to properly label his materials. Investigators allege that while outside of Russia, the comedian continued to publish materials without the appropriate labeling. In 2022, Slepakov moved to Israel. Investigators have announced their intention to place the artist on the international wanted list, RBC reports.
It should be noted that Semyon Slepakov himself, as of 8:00 Moscow time on May 21, had not commented on the Moscow City Court's decision on his social media accounts.