Ex-Prosecutor General Krasnov appointed head of Russia’s Supreme Court
Igor Krasnov, ex-prosecutor general known for his pivotal role in the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent, has been appointed chairman of Russia’s Supreme Court, the Federation Council confirmed in a statement published on Sept. 24.
Krasnov applied for the position in August, following the death of Irina Podnosova, a former classmate of President Vladimir Putin, who led the court from April 2024 until her death from cancer in July 2025. Krasnov was the sole candidate for the role.
The appointment was approved unanimously, with all 160 senators voting in favor, after which Putin signed a decree officially elevating him to the position.
In a separate decree, Putin named Alexandr Gutsan, the former presidential envoy to the Northwestern Federal District, as Russia’s new prosecutor general.
Krasnov has held senior positions in Russia’s law enforcement and judicial apparatus for over two decades.
He began his career in investigative agencies in the early 2000s and joined the central office of the Investigative Committee after its formation in 2011.
Krasnov gained national attention after leading the probe into the 2015 murder of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, one of the most prominent political enemies of Putin.
From 2016, Krasnov served as deputy chairman under Alexander Bastrykin. Putin appointed Krasnov as prosecutor general in January 2020.
During his tenure, Krasnov oversaw the arrest of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny when he returned from Germany in 2021, and later helped label all organizations linked to Navalny as "extremist," according to the Moscow Times.
Krasnov's appointment comes amid scrutiny from anti-corruption watchdogs.
According to an investigation by the Russian opposition-linked Anti-Corruption Foundation, members of Krasnov’s family acquired real estate worth nearly 1.5 billion rubles (approximately $18 million) during the past three years, coinciding with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
