Former Russian Opposition Activist Detained in Poland on Espionage Charges

A former activist with the Russian opposition movement has been detained in Poland on allegations of espionage on the morning of July 29.

Igor Rogov, previously affiliated with the Open Russia and Anti-Corruption Foundation, was detained by Polish authorities. This news was first reported by several news outlets, and later confirmed by multiple sources including acquaintances of Rogov and journalists from the Russian media outlet Sota.

The specific grounds for the espionage accusations remain undisclosed.

Rogov, a 27-year-old Russian national, held a prominent role within Alexei Navalny’s political network, serving as deputy coordinator for the opposition leader’s headquarters in Saransk in 2017. Following the closure of this office, he transitioned to coordinating the Mordovian branch of Mikhail Khodorkovsky’s Open Russia.

In August 2020, Rogov and another coordinator of “Open Russia,” Artyom Vazhenov, were detained in Minsk, where they had arrived to serve as observers for the presidential elections. According to the Belarusian Investigative Committee, Rogov and Vazhenov were suspected of participating in mass riots.

In July 2021, Igor Rogov ran as an independent candidate for the city council of Saransk. He was allowed to participate in the elections, having been registered as a candidate. However, he was ultimately unable to win.

Recently, Igor Rogov has been living in Poland as a recipient of the Katowice Scholarship Program.