Four prominent activists advocating for Black rights have been convicted on federal charges of conspiring to act as unregistered Russian agents, according to the Justice Department. The four individuals—Omali Yeshitela, 82; Penny Hess, 78; Jesse Nevel, 34; and Augustus Romain, 38—face potential maximum sentences of five years in prison. However, they were found not guilty of the more severe charge of acting as agents of a foreign government.
Yeshitela is the founder of the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) and the Uhuru Movement. Hess and Nevel are white allies of these organizations, while Romain leads a Georgia-based group known as Black Hammer. A sentencing date has yet to be scheduled.
Prosecutors allege that from 2015 to 2022, the activists engaged in various activities in the U.S. on behalf of the Russian government, receiving support from Aleksandr Ionov, president of the Moscow-based Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia. The Justice Department claims Ionov’s activities were directed and overseen by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).
Ionov, along with two alleged FSB agents, Aleksey Borisovich Sukhodolov and Yegor Sergeyevich Popov, has been indicted in the U.S., though they are not currently in custody.
Prosecutors argue that the defendants were aware of Ionov’s affiliations with the Russian government. Among the activities highlighted was a 2015 APSP petition to the UN accusing the U.S. of genocide against African people. Ionov also allegedly attempted to influence the 2017 mayoral election in St. Petersburg, Florida, where Nevel ran unsuccessfully.
Leonard Goodman, Hess’s lawyer, contends that the prosecution is an attempt to suppress their pro-Russian viewpoints, framing the case as a free speech issue. Yeshitela expressed his commitment to his cause, stating that they were only found guilty of working for Black people.
Defense attorneys for the activists plan to appeal the convictions.
