A military court in Moscow sentenced leftist activist Sergei Udaltsov to six years in prison on Thursday after finding him guilty of “justifying terrorism.”

The ruling was issued by the Second Western District Military Court in Moscow, as reported by Interfax news agency. Udaltsov, aged 48, has been held in pre-trial detention since January 2024 and will serve his time in a maximum-security penal facility.

Following the announcement of his sentence, Udaltsov declared his intent to appeal and announced a hunger strike.

“This is a disgraceful ruling. I trust that all those involved will face consequences,” he stated during the court proceedings. “To hell with you, you dogs. I hope you encounter the same fate, you vile creatures.”

Prosecutors had requested a seven-year sentence, while Udaltsov’s legal team argued for his acquittal.

The details of the case remain classified, but during an earlier court session, Udaltsov indicated that the charges were related to his online comments supporting a group of self-proclaimed Marxists recently imprisoned on terrorism and attempted coup charges.

Udaltsov was a notable opposition figure during the early 2010s, participating in protests against President Vladimir Putin’s re-election in 2012.

In 2014, he was sentenced to four and a half years for organizing what the authorities termed “mass riots,” but he was released after serving three years.

Udaltsov has openly supported the annexation of Crimea and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, stating that he opposes Putin from a “patriotic” leftist perspective with an emphasis on domestic socio-economic issues.

A supporter of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Udaltsov has advocated for the restoration of the U.S.S.R. and has faced multiple arrests and fines for organizing commemorative events celebrating Stalin’s birthday.

Reporting by AFP contributed to this article.