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EN
Karachay–Cherkessia man sentenced to life in prison for links to Freedom of Russia Legion
['Elizaveta Chukharova', 'Liza Was Born', 'Raised In Vladikavkaz', 'Now Lives In Prague. She Has Previously Worked For Rfe Rl', 'Astra', 'Belsat', 'Others. She Is Currently Completing Her Phd In German', 'Slavic Studies At Charles University In Prague', 'Specialising In The Study Of Military', 'Inter-Ethnic Conflicts In The North Caucasus. In Her Free Time']
OC Media
A Russian court has sentenced a 35-year-old man from Karachay–Cherkessia, Aleksi Kaplunov, to life for allegedly expressing his intention to join the Freedom of Russia Legion, which fights alongside Ukrainian forces.
The verdict has not yet entered into force and can be appealed at the Military Court of Appeals.
Kaplunov is not the first person from the North Caucasus or southern Russia to be sentenced in a case involving the Freedom of Russia Legion.
In January 2026, the Southern District Military Court sentenced a man from Sochi, Kirill Sidorov, to 11 years in prison for participating in the activities of a terrorist organisation.
In March 2026, the same court sentenced Ilia Mezentsev, a man from Kislovodsk, to 12 years in a maximum security prison.