Exiled Cult Leader Svetlana Lada-Rus Sentenced to 8 Years in Absentia by Samara Court

A court in the southwestern Samara region sentenced Svetlana Lada-Rus, an exiled cult leader and fringe opposition figure, to eight years in absentia on Friday.

Lada-Rus was convicted of fraud, establishing an organization that violated the rights and identity of Russian citizens, and causing serious bodily harm through negligence.

State prosecutors claimed that organizations formed by Lada-Rus masqueraded as traditional medicine centers and political groups, but in truth functioned as “destructive communities” that prompted followers to renounce their civic duties.

Additionally, they accused her of enforcing a religious doctrine and mandating daily rituals and ceremonies at her home in the Samara area since 2006, actions they claimed “disrupted the emotional well-being” of her followers.

Designated as a “foreign agent,” Lada-Rus currently resides outside Russia and previously described the allegations against her as “absurd” and “slanderous.”

On Friday, she criticized the Samara court’s ruling, stating in a Telegram post, “I do not recognize this judgment and do not believe that this government, which colonized us in 1993, has the authority to judge me or anyone else. This system was designed to eliminate those who stand in the way of its looting, killing, and the destruction of the country.”

Originally a music teacher, Lada-Rus garnered attention in the 1990s after launching an occult healing center in Samara. She later entered the political arena, running for the State Duma in 2003 and attempting a presidential campaign in 2012 with support from her party, The Will, which was classified as extremist in 2016.

Her ideology incorporates the denial of the Soviet Union’s collapse, Russian nationalism, anti-vaccine beliefs, and reptilian conspiracy theories. She has also alleged that Russia’s ruling elite have been compromised by British intelligence.

Recently, numerous supporters of Lada-Rus have faced police searches and arrests across the nation, including in the Altai Republic, where one follower, Aruna Arna, emerged as a leader in protests against controversial municipal reforms.