Krasnov Seeks to Fill Supreme Court Chief Justice Vacancy Amidst Uncertainty in Russia’s Judiciary

Russia’s Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov has submitted his application for the role of chief justice at the country’s Supreme Court, a position that has been unfilled since the passing of the former chief justice more than a month ago, as reported by Russian media on Monday.

The position at the top of the Russian Supreme Court became available late last month following the death of Chief Justice Irina Podnosova, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 71. Since then, Deputy Chief Justice Yuri Ivanenko has been acting in the chief justice role.

Monday was the deadline for applications for the chief justice position, as stated by the high qualification board of judges. A qualifying examination that was set to take place last Thursday had reportedly been delayed due to a shortage of candidates, according to the newspaper Vedomosti.

Vedomosti had previously cited five unnamed sources indicating that Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, is considered “the most apparent” candidate for the chief justice position. It remains uncertain whether Bastrykin submitted his application by the deadline.

Krasnov, who is 49 years old, has been at the helm of the Prosecutor General’s Office since January 2020. Last Friday, President Vladimir Putin conferred upon him the honor of Honored Lawyer of Russia.

Before this, he served as Bastrykin’s deputy at the Investigative Committee starting in 2016. Krasnov led the investigation into the 2015 assassination of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, and more recently, he has managed Russia’s increasing nationalization of private properties.

Candidates for the position of chief justice of Russia’s Supreme Court are nominated by the president and must receive confirmation from the Federation Council, the upper house of the legislature, for a term of six years. The predecessor to Podnosova, Vyacheslav Lebedev, held the chief justice position from 1989 until his death in February 2024.