Communist Party says Komi leader Oleg Mikhailov detained in Moscow

Oleg Mikhailov, head of the Communist Party branch in Russia's Komi Republic and a former State Duma member, has been detained in Moscow, the regional party organisation said.

Mikhailov's colleagues linked the criminal case to a post he published in 2024 about sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, whom Russia's Justice Ministry has designated a foreign agent. The party said Mikhailov was accused of justifying terrorism.

Mikhailov has led the party's Komi branch since 2014. He won a State Duma seat in 2021 but lost the Syktyvkar constituency election in 2026.

The party said a court hearing to decide his pretrial restrictions was scheduled for October 22.