Former ‘Open Russia’ coordinator Igor Rogov sentenced in Poland to seven years in prison on FSB espionage charges

A Polish court has sentenced Igor Rogov, a former coordinator for “Open Russia,” to seven years in prison for espionage on behalf of Russia, according to the Polish news outlet Onet. His wife, Irina, received a three-year sentence for aiding and abetting espionage. The trial was held behind closed doors.

Rogov was convicted on espionage charges and for his role in sending a package containing an explosive device. According to calculations by the independent Russian news outlet Vot Tak, he will be released in five years and his wife in a year and a half, with time already served under arrest counted toward their sentences.

Between February and August 2022, investigators say, Rogov collected information for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) about members of the Russian opposition living in Poland and the individuals and organizations that support them. He then passed that data to his wife, who forwarded it to Russia, according to investigators.

Vot Tak, citing the indictment, reported that during the investigation Rogov himself described his work for the FSB, which had begun before he emigrated. The document does not state, however, that investigators had any evidence pointing to a connection between Rogov and the Russian security service.

Wirtualna Polska reported that after the full-scale war began, FSB officers threatened Rogov, warning that his father would be sent to fight in Ukraine. Prosecution documents stated that Irina Rogova knew of her husband’s cooperation with the security service, but she did not admit to any ties with the FSB herself.

In the second episode of the case, Rogov is accused of participating, together with two Ukrainian nationals and one Russian national, in sending a package containing explosives. The package was seized at a courier service warehouse in the Łódź region before it reached its recipient.

According to reporting by Vot Tak, Rogov was likely involved in a Ukrainian intelligence operation that was moving explosive components into Russia through Poland without the knowledge of Polish authorities.

Igor Rogov served as deputy coordinator of Alexei Navalny’s campaign office in Saransk in 2017, and after the office was shut down he worked for “Open Russia.”

In 2020, Rogov and another “Open Russia” staffer, Artyom Vazhenkov, were detained and beaten in Minsk during protests following the presidential election. They were released several days later.

After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Rogov was granted asylum in Poland. He was detained in 2024.