The Court of Appeal refused to mitigate the sentence of blogger Arsen Markaryan.

Blogger Arsen Markaryan, sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for rehabilitating Nazism, appealed his case by asking the court for a sentence that did not involve actual imprisonment. The prosecutor's office, on the contrary, insisted on a harsher sentence.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in August 2025, blogger Arsen Markaryan of Armenian descent was detained and then arrested in Moscow. He is accused of insulting the memory of defenders of the Fatherland (Part 4 of Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison). The blogger refused to admit guilt. Markaryan asked the court to consider his case under a special procedure due to his agreement with the charges. The court found Markaryan guilty of rehabilitating Nazism and sentenced him to four years and six months in prison. He is also banned from website administration for four years.

Arsen Markaryan's 4.5-year sentence in the Nazi rehabilitation case was denied a reduction. The First Appellate Court in Moscow upheld the sentence, reports "Ostorogno Novosti."

During the hearing, the prosecutor insisted on a harsher sentence for Markaryan – six years and 10 months in a general regime penal colony, as well as a five-year ban on administering websites, RAPSI reports.

Markaryan, in turn, requested a sentence that did not involve actual imprisonment. His lawyers urged consideration of his remorse, admission of guilt, lack of a criminal record, positive references, and the presence of two young children. Furthermore, the defense objected to the ban on administering websites, as this activity served as a source of income for the family.

The blogger himself participated in the hearing via video link, RIA Novosti reports.

Markaryan is a 31-year-old blogger and infopreneur from Samara, the developer of his own course, "Base." He claims to help men become stronger, more confident, and more energetic. He is known for his negative remarks about women (though his "Base" also includes a course for them). Specifically, in one of his speeches (a video posted on the Tigman Telegram channel on July 14, 2024), he called rape a "useful experience." "In general, it's a useful experience to rape, to understand how human psychology works," the blogger stated in the video. Also in July 2024, a video appeared on social media in which Markaryan talks about sexual relations with 12- and 13-year-old girls. A recording from one of the blogger's online courses, in which he talks about relationships with minors, was published by user X under the handle @yolkzheltok. She claims she was sent the excerpt. The blogger also criticized the Russian authorities and the military operation.