Russian law enforcement authorities have pressed charges against rapper Face for violating the country’s “foreign agent” law, the exiled news outlet Mediazona reported Monday.
The Justice Ministry designated Face, whose real name is Ivan Dremin, a “foreign agent” in 2022 and has since issued multiple fines to the rapper for failing to meet the law’s requirements.
Face left Russia shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has vowed never to perform there again. He has also removed his music from Russian streaming platforms.
According to Mediazona, a criminal case against Face was sent to the Kirovsky District Court in his hometown of Ufa. The submission indicates the court must now decide whether to take the case to trial.
The rapper faces up to two years in prison if convicted of repeatedly violating legal obligations imposed on individuals designated as “foreign agents,” should he be extradited to Russia.
Russia’s Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for him this summer, though it was not clear what charges he faced at the time.
Face rose to fame in 2017 with the viral music video “Burger,” an ironic depiction of internet-driven youth culture. His 2018 album “Mysterious Ways” marked a shift toward political themes, addressing poverty, corruption and abuse within Russia’s prison system.
He has also been an outspoken supporter of the late opposition activist Alexei Navalny.
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