As many have tried before, many have also been punished for their opposition to the Kremlin in Russia. Ilya Ponomaryov, a former Russian lawmaker who attempted to oppose the Kremlin, is no different. He is currently under investigation for “spreading false information about the Russian army,” according to Russian media.

Investigators have requested the “arrest in absentia” of Ilya Ponomaryov, which makes him a wanted man. He can face strict detention if he chooses to return to Russia. Under a new law passed in Russia, the “public dissemination of deliberately false information” concerning the Russian military can get somebody hit with fines or even 15 years in jail.

Alexei Gorinov, a District Councilor in Moscow, was sentenced to seven years in prison in July due to the same offense. Ilya Yashin and Vladimir Kara-Murza have also been hit with punishment for acting as opposition figures. Yevgeny Roizman, Yekaterinburg’s former Mayor, was charged with discrediting the Russian military as he criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.