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Russian court fines rock musician Boris Grebenshchikov 15,000 rubles for giving an interview to Meduza

Moscow’s Khoroshevsky District Court fined musician Boris Grebenshchikov 15,000 rubles for “participating in the activities of an undesirable organization” under Article 20.33 of Russia’s Code of Administrative Offenses. Ostorozhno, Novosti reported that the alleged offense was an interview he gave to the podcast “Chto sluchilos” (“What Happened”), released in April 2026.

Grebenshchikov has lived outside Russia for the past several years. In 2023, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated him a “foreign agent.” That same year, he was fined 50,000 rubles in Russia for “discrediting” the army. In October 2025, he was fined 40,000 rubles for “violating the rules governing the activities of a ‘foreign agent.’”

Meduza was designated an “undesirable organization” in January 2023. Since then, its staff and contributors have regularly been cited for participating in the activities of an “undesirable organization.”

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