Altai Court Rejects Lawsuit Challenging Controversial Local Governance Reform

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The Supreme Court of the Siberian republic of Altai on Monday rejected a lawsuit challenging a controversial municipal reform passed

Hundreds of people gathered outside the court ahead of the ruling to protest the Kremlin-backed reform, which effectively eliminates local government bodies in rural communities and further concentrates power in the regional administration.

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Todoshev said he plans to appeal to a higher court. “Victory will be ours no matter what. I will fight till the end,” he told protesters, who presented him with a traditional Altaian hat and belt in a gesture of gratitude.

Altai, Russia’s least populous ethnic republic, has just over 221,500 residents spread across more than 92,000 square kilometers (35,521 square miles). Its capital, Gorno-Altaysk, is home to just over 65,000 people, leaving most residents in rural villages directly impacted

A rally against the reform in Gorno-Altaysk in June drew around 4,000 people, a rare public display of anti-government sentiment amid the government’s tightening crackdown on dissent since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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