Maxim Galkin, a well-known figure in Russia who is labeled a foreign agent by authorities, has submitted a complaint to the Supreme Court of Russia. The move seeks to overturn the decision that keeps him on the register of foreign agents. This development was reported by news agencies with reference to the court’s communications, and the content of the filing is now part of the public court record.
According to the court’s press office, the complaint was filed by Maxim Aleksandrovich Galkin, though the exact date of the upcoming hearing has not yet been set. The public announcement from the court emphasized that the case is now before the higher judiciary for consideration, signaling a formal challenge to the existing designation.
Earlier, at the end of May, the Second Court of Cassation General Jurisdiction rejected Galkin’s bid to be removed from the foreign agents list. That ruling effectively maintained the status quo and closed one avenue for the showman to exit the registry for the time being.
Galkin’s representative, Ekaterina Zuban, asserted that the decision of the Justice Ministry violated her client’s rights and freedoms. She argued that Galkin has not engaged in political activities in the traditional sense, and that his criticisms of state institutions should not be construed as political campaigning. Zuban also noted that Galkin has not received organizational or financial backing from Ukraine or any other country, and that the specifics of his performances have not been assigned to any particular political agenda.
Earlier efforts to remove Galkin from the foreign agents list were undertaken by his legal team last summer, but the Zamoskvoretsky Court upheld the Justice Ministry’s stance, with an appeals panel affirming the prior decision. The outcome at that stage left the registry intact and the fight carried forward into higher court review.
In its latest procedural step, the showman proceeded to appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking a reversal of the lower court outcomes and the eventual removal from the register. The ongoing process reflects a broader pattern of disputes over the criteria and application of foreign agent designations in the country.
Public records indicate that Galkin has publicly criticized the special military operation and opted to relocate his family to Israel in 2022. That same year, the Justice Ministry added him to the foreign agent registry, stating that he had received funding from Ukraine and had engaged in activities interpreted as political. Since the designation, his public performances have predominantly taken place outside Russia, contributing to the international dimension of the case.
There have been separate developments concerning other figures associated with the wider context, including prior inquiries related to recognition as foreign agents. In one instance, a separate case involved a decision not to classify a prominent figure as a foreign agent, a decision that highlights the nuanced and often contentious nature of these determinations.