September 10, 2024

Americans in Tampa Tried for Treason


Americans in Tampa Tried for Treason
Omali Yeshitela, one of the defendants.  DAVID LANCE 1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Four American activists aligned with the African People's Socialist Party will be tried for charges that they have acted as unregistered Russian agents.

The defendants are accused of forming a long-standing relationship with agents in Russia; allegedly, officials invited the activists to Russia and communicated with them online and through phone calls. In return, prosecutors allege, the Americans pushed Russian propaganda on their social media and radio channels. Their posts speak out against NATO and US backing of Ukraine, currently defending itself from Russia.

According to prosecutors, defendant Omali Yeshitela and three of his associates collaborated for eight years with Russian citizen Alexander Ionov. Ionov is head of the "Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia," a Moscow organization backed by the Russian government. Ionov, in turn, according to investigators, acted on the instructions of two FSB officers, Alexei Sukhodolov and Yegor Popov, who are also charged in the case.

Coverage in Russia from Izvestia and RT argued that this case is an example of the American government suppressing the free speech of its citizens. If convicted, the activists could face up to 15 years in prison. 

You Might Also Like

The Path to Foreign Agenthood
  • June 01, 2024

The Path to Foreign Agenthood

A grassroots organization fighting for the rights of mobilized soldiers has been declared a foreign agent.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals
[INVALID]
[INVALID]

Some of our Books

Little Golden Calf
February 01, 2010

Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.

Marooned in Moscow
May 01, 2011

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955