New Charges Land Ex-Governor Furgal an Additional 23 Years in Prison, Sparking Controversy Over Political Motivation

A judge in Moscow has sentenced former Khabarovsk region Governor Sergei Furgal to an additional 23 years in prison, on top of the 22-year sentence he is already serving for double murder, as reported by his support group on Wednesday.

Furgal gained attention in 2018 when he defeated the Kremlin-backed incumbent in the gubernatorial election for the Far Eastern region. His arrest in 2020 led to months of significant protests, as many viewed the murder charges against him as politically motivated.

In 2022, despite widespread public disapproval, a court in the Moscow region sentenced Furgal, a former timber and scrap metal businessman, to 22 years in a high-security facility for allegedly orchestrating contract killings.

On Wednesday, a judge from the Babushkinsky District Court in Moscow found Furgal guilty on new charges, which included forming an organized crime group, misuse of authority, extensive fraud, money laundering, and engaging in illegal business activities.

The case revolves around four loans totaling 2.67 billion rubles (approximately $34.5 million) granted to companies associated with Furgal’s enterprises. His support group stated that one of the loans had been fully repaid and that payments on the remaining loans were being made on time, with one payment made just days before his arrest.

Furgal has denied all allegations.

The judge issued a cumulative sentence of 25 years in a high-security prison by combining the new sentence with Furgal’s prior conviction, according to his supporters.

Eight other individuals involved in the case received sentences that varied between four years of suspension and 20 years in prison.

In 2020, President Vladimir Putin removed Furgal from his position, citing «loss of confidence,» and appointed Mikhail Degtyarev, a more Kremlin-aligned member of the same nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, as his successor. Degtyarev currently serves as the Minister of Sports.

Last year, a court in Khabarovsk prohibited the Russian phrase «I’m/We’re Furgal,» which had been adopted by the former governor’s supporters, branding it as an «extremist movement.»