Andrei Pivovarov was arrested on May 31, 2021 and sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony for leading an “undesirable” organization, which the authorities deemed to be “Open Russia,” one of the largest opposition networks in Russia.
The reason for the arrest was Andrei’s intention to run for the State Duma elections. After his arrest, the Yabloko party nominated Andrei as a candidate. His team conducted the first and only election campaign for a political prisoner in Russia.
Andrei spent 3 years and 2 months in a Russian prison, with the last 1 year and 7 months in solitary confinement. On August 1, 2024, he was deported and freed as part of a historic prisoner exchange.
