Russian Activist Fined Over ‘Party of Crooks and Thieves’ T-Shirt

Oct. 15, 2026 A rally against fraud in the State Duma elections on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow on Dec. 10, 2011. Zurab Zavakhadze / VoA A court in the Russian city of Kostroma has fined an activist for displaying “extremist symbols” over a photograph of him wearing a T-shirt with a slogan mocking the ruling United Russia party, the RusNews news outlet reported. Andrei Tarasov, a former parliamentary candidate for the liberal Yabloko party, was fined 1,000 rubles ($12) by Kostroma’s Sverdlovsky District Court. The T-shirt bore the words “I’m against the party of crooks and thieves” alongside an image of a person kicking a bear, United Russia’s symbol. An expert enlisted by the Interior Ministry deemed the slogan extremist on the grounds that it was attributed to the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. The expert’s assessment said the phrase “delegitimized the ruling party in the eyes of voters” and “serves as a marker of opposition affiliation.” The case followed a complaint by Communist Party member Sergei Shpotin, who ran for governor of the Kostroma region in 2025. Shpotin complained that his fellow party members were being “dragged through the courts” while “this new liberal gets away with absolutely everything.” The phrase “party of crooks and thieves” has long been used to describe United Russia. Opposition politician Boris Nemtsov used it during a Radio Liberty broadcast in 2010, and Navalny later popularized it on his LiveJournal blog. The slogan was widely adopted by opposition groups and individual voters during the 2011 parliamentary election campaign. Banners, flags and stickers reading “Down with the party of crooks and thieves” became a familiar sight at mass protests in 2011-2012, held against the backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s planned return to the presidency. A June 2012 poll by the independent Levada Center found that 42% of respondents agreed with the description of United Russia as the “party of crooks and thieves.” This article was translated with the help of artificial intelligence and was reviewed by a Moscow Times editor before publication. Learn more about our newsroom's AI policy here. Read this article in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service. Read more about: Court case , Politics , United Russia Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Russia Is Gearing Up for Nationwide Elections. This Is What You Need to Know. Though United Russia is expected to dominate, the elections could offer insight into how the war in Ukraine has affected Russian politics. 7 Min read Russia Jails U.S. Man for Sexually Abusing Sons Russian prosecutors accused David Thomas Barnes of sexually abusing his two sons between 2014 and 2018 when they lived in Texas. 1 Min read Russia’s Ruling Party Uses AI to Purge Anti-War Voters – Reports Russia’s ruling party is purging its ranks of opponents to the war in Ukraine with AI and algorithms that track voters’ social media activity... Large Parties Expected to Dominate Duma Election – Report The next State Duma could be made of three political parties instead of four, with smaller opposition parties winning no seats at all, a new report by...