A jury in Florida has convicted four civil rights activists of conspiring to act as unregistered Russian agents as part of a secret initiative by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to influence U.S. politics.
The Kremlin attempted to interfere in U.S. domestic politics through its agents of influence, associated with local organizations such as the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and the Uhuru Movement. The trial, which concluded on September 12, revealed details of a seven-year Russian campaign to destabilize the U.S. by supporting marginal political groups.
The founder of the African People’s Socialist Party, Omali Yeshitela, along with Penny Hess, Jesse Nevel, and Augustus Romain Jr., were convicted. They face up to five years in prison for conspiracy.
As noted in a report by RFE/RL, the activists operated in close contact with a Russian organization called the “Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia,” which, according to prosecutors, served as one of the FSB’s tools for influencing U.S. internal affairs. Their activities focused on creating protest movements, spreading ideas about the “genocide of Black people” in the U.S., and criticizing U.S. policies, particularly concerning the war in Ukraine.
“This is about dividing Americans, dividing communities, turning neighbor against neighbor,” Justice Department attorney Menno Goedman said. “The defendants acted at the direction of the Russian government to sow division right here in the U.S.”
The convicted activists cooperated with Russian citizen Aleksandr Ionov, who coordinated their actions on behalf of the FSB. Ionov, Popov, and Sukhodolov—along with two other FSB officers, Yevgeny Vistoropsky and Aleksei Mityagin—were involved in years of collaboration with several groups of American activists, “who provided the FSB with information… to foster division within the U.S.”
Ionov and the FSB officers were publicly exposed. Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Popov, Sukhodolov, and Ionov.
Prosecutors noted that the activists’ actions fully aligned with the interests of the Russian government. “This is not about freedom of speech or the right to protest. This is about how a foreign power attempts to destabilize our country from within,” one prosecutor emphasized.
The accused activists supported Russian policy and called for unity with the Russian Federation. In March 2022, Omali Yeshitela, the head of the APSP, held a press conference where he publicly expressed support for Russian aggression against Ukraine, calling it a “defensive war against colonial powers.”
As U.S. Judge William Jung stressed: “This trial is not just about interference in the 2016 elections, it’s about how Russia systematically attempts to undermine democracy through proxies.”
By using agents of influence, local movements, propaganda, and disinformation, Russia continues to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, threatening democracy and stability.
