Former State Duma deputy Oleg Mikhailov, who heads the Communist Party's regional branch in Russia's Komi Republic, was detained in Moscow on October 21. He is suspected of an offense under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code, which criminalizes public calls for terrorist activity, justification of terrorism or terrorist propaganda committed using the internet.
Representatives of the Communist Party in Komi reported his detention. According to their information, Mikhailov was detained at a Moscow airport after returning from vacation.
Regional news outlets, TASS and Fontanka subsequently reported the case.
Mikhailov's associates said he was placed in a temporary detention facility following his arrest. A court hearing on whether to impose a pretrial restriction was expected on October 22.
The Telegram channel Novaya Respublika reported that the criminal case might be linked to posts Mikhailov made in 2024 mentioning sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky.
Kagarlitsky had previously been convicted of publicly justifying terrorism. However, the mere mention of his name in Mikhailov's alleged posts does not establish the legal basis for the new case. The exact content of the material under investigation has not been made public.
At the time of the report, no procedural documents had been released that would allow independent verification of which specific statements were being attributed to the former lawmaker.
Mikhailov represented Komi in the State Duma's eighth convocation from 2021 to 2026. Before entering the federal parliament, he was a deputy in the republic's State Council.
He also participated in protests against the construction of a landfill near the Shiyes railway station. Mikhailov failed to retain his parliamentary seat in the 2026 State Duma elections.
The case involves the current regional leader of a party represented in Russia's parliament. The authorities' allegation that his online publications were unlawful does not establish his guilt, which must be determined by a court.