Associate Professor Igor Zaitsev of the European University was arrested for donating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation.

In St. Petersburg, security forces detained Igor Zaitsev, a 58-year-old PhD candidate in philosophy, associate professor, and deputy dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology, and Religious Studies at the European University. The scholar has become the latest figure in a crackdown on donors to opposition foundations.

Security forces conducted a search due to transfers to Navalny.

The philosopher's apartment was searched that morning. Igor Zaitsev was ultimately charged with "financing terrorism." The criminal case was initiated based on at least seven donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), sent in 2021–2022.

Nevertheless, the organization itself was designated "extremist" by Russian authorities back in 2021. Since then, security forces have been systematically prosecuting individuals who sent funds to Alexei Navalny's organizations.

Persecution of scientists for money transfers

Unfortunately, Igor Zaitsev's case is far from isolated in the academic community. According to human rights activists and human rights media, more than 220 criminal cases related to donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation have already been opened in 64 regions of Russia.

In particular, other prominent Russian scientists have previously faced repression for donations to Navalny's foundation. For example, in May, mathematician Andrei Dymov was sentenced to 3,5 years in prison for transferring 3,5 rubles to opposition figures. Furthermore, one of Russia's leading supercomputer developers, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Sergei Abramov, received a fine of 450 rubles for transactions totaling 7 rubles.