Exiled Journalist Yury Dud Sentenced to Nearly Two Years in Prison for Violating Russias Foreign Agent Law

A Moscow court has sentenced exiled journalist and YouTuber Yury Dud to 1 year and 10 months in prison in absentia for breaching Russia’s “foreign agent” legislation, authorities announced on Friday.

The Basmanny district magistrate court found Dud guilty of repeatedly neglecting to adhere to the legal requirements imposed on individuals designated as “foreign agents.”

This is reportedly the first time an actual prison sentence has been handed down in relation to offenses under the “foreign agent” framework, according to the exiled media outlet Mediazona.

In April 2022, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated Dud as a “foreign agent,” shortly after he publicly criticized Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He left the country soon after and has been living abroad since then.

The Moscow Prosecutor’s Office indicated that Dud made two social media posts in May 2025 that failed to include the obligatory label indicating they were created or disseminated by a “foreign agent.”

Dud’s sentence, which has not yet taken effect, will commence upon his extradition to Russia or if he is apprehended within the country, as stated by the Moscow court system.

Under Russian legislation, repeated breaches of “foreign agent” regulations can result in a maximum prison sentence of two years.

Dud has previously faced fines on two occasions for not labeling his online content according to “foreign agent” regulations.

As of now, he has not responded to the prison sentence issued on Friday.

Since its inception in 2017, Dud’s YouTube channel has amassed over 10 million subscribers and features interviews with a diverse range of guests, including politicians, musicians, journalists, and business leaders.