Yuri Malev, a dual national holding both United States and Russian Federation citizenship, was detained in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Dec. 9 for what officials allege were social media posts 'rehabilitating nazism' published in May 2022, RFE/RL reported.
A St. Petersburg district court found he "expressed clear disrespect for society and the days of military glory" for posting photos displaying the St. Georges ribbon in an offensive manner.
Malev arrived in Russia via Estonia just two weeks before his detention and could face up to five years in prison.
The detention comes exactly one year after American basketball star Brittney Griner was released by Moscow in a trade for Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer dubbed Russia's 'merchant of death.'
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has leveraged American detainees to entice Washington to trade for Russian nationals held in the U.S.
Last week, Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva received an extended pre-trial detention after being charged with failing to register as a "foreign agent," charges the Biden administration has slammed as politically motivated.
