Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Prosecutors Seek Life Sentence for Nationalist Writer’s Alleged Attacker

Alexander Permyakov. Sergei Karpukhin / TASS

Russian prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Alexander Permyakov, who is accused of trying to assassinate pro-war nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin, the independent news website Mediazona reported Friday.

Permyakov was arrested last May after a car bomb wounded Prilepin and killed his security guard in the Nizhny Novgorod region. According to his lawyer, Permyakov pleaded guilty and has cooperated with investigators, who claim he acted on instructions from Ukrainian special services.

Investigators allege Permyakov communicated with a Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) handler, who reportedly located Prilepin’s whereabouts through anonymous conversations with Prilepin’s son.

Prosecutors requested that Moscow’s Second Western Military Garrison Court sentence Permyakov to life in a “special regime” penal colony, citing his anti-social attitudes and dangerous interests. Special regime colonies are notorious for their harsh conditions.

Prilepin declined to attend the hearing, asking the court to impose a punishment according to the law.

Permyakov, a native of eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, had initially fought for pro-Russian rebels in 2015 but later fled to western Ukraine. He reportedly traveled to Russia via Poland and Latvia in August 2022.

Prilepin, known for his novels based on his experiences fighting with Russian forces in Chechnya, has been a vocal supporter of pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine since 2014.

After Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the writer helped lead efforts against Russia’s anti-state cultural elite, calling for the resignation of unpatriotic cultural figures.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more