Gusein Gasanov Sentenced in Absentia

A court ruling has been issued against well-known Russian blogger Gusein Gasanov. The Presnensky District Court of Moscow found him guilty of laundering criminal proceeds and sentenced him in absentia to four years in a general-regime penal colony. RIA Novosti reported this today.

According to the court ruling, Gasanov was found guilty of committing the crime set out in Article 174.1, Part 4, Paragraph “b” of the Russian Criminal Code. He was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 1 million rubles. In addition, the court barred Gusein Gasanov from holding a website management position for two years.

According to investigators, Gasanov failed to pay more than 175 million rubles in taxes while operating as an individual entrepreneur. He was also accused of laundering more than 68 million rubles through financial transactions linked to the purchase of real estate at the Moscow-City complex.

Gusein Gasanov is considered one of Russia’s most popular bloggers. He built a large audience through humorous videos on social media, promotions featuring luxury car giveaways, and paid online courses.

On May 14, 2025, Moscow’s Chertanovsky District Court ordered Gasanov’s arrest in absentia as part of the case. The prosecution later requested a six-year prison sentence for the blogger. However, the court ultimately sentenced him to four years in prison.