Oleksiy Arestovych sentenced to 11 years in prison by Russian court

A Russian court has sentenced Oleksiy Arestovych, a former advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to 11 years in prison in absentia. The ruling follows charges of spreading “terrorist propaganda” and “false information” regarding the Russian Armed Forces.

The judge ordered that the first three years of the sentence be served in a closed prison regime, with the remaining years spent in a general regime penal colony. Additionally, the court prohibited Arestovych from managing websites or online channels for a period of four years.

The prosecution cited a social media video in which Arestovych allegedly incited the destruction of railway lines used to supply Russian troops on the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine. Arestovych, who served as an advisor to Zelensky from December 2020 to January 2023, is currently residing primarily in the United States.