Russian Justice Ministry Blacklists Navalny Memoir as ‘Extremist’ Despite Lawmakers’ Assurances

The Russian Ministry of Justice has officially labeled Alexei Navalny’s memoir, “Patriot,” as extremist material, adding the book to its federal blacklist. The decision — based on a June 9 ruling by the Leningrad Regional Court — targets the 2024 Russian-language edition published by One Book Publishing in Lithuania. The Ministry’s move was confirmed this week via its online registry.

The development directly contradicts recent statements from Russian lawmakers, who had publicly reassured citizens that reading Navalny’s works or watching his team’s content would not be punishable under new internet censorship laws.

In June, the State Duma passed sweeping amendments introducing fines up to 5,000 rubles for searching “extremist” materials online (including via VPNs), and even harsher penalties for promoting VPNs — up to 80,000 rubles for individuals and 500,000 for organizations.

The legislation is broadly worded, fueling fears that virtually any contact with prohibited content could be penalized.

When pressed by journalists, Duma deputy Sergey Boyarsky previously insisted that “there is no liability” for consuming Navalny’s materials and that the memoir was not on the extremist list.

However, records now show that the court had already ruled to blacklist “Patriot,” with the official announcement following later.

Despite lawmakers’ earlier promises, Navalny’s memoir is now formally banned in Russia.

Its distribution, possession, or even online search could lead to fines or prosecution—once again highlighting the widening gap between political assurances and reality for ordinary Russians.