11th Circuit Affirms Jail Terms for Black Activists Linked to Russian Agents

In a unanimous decision, the 11th Circuit affirmed the guilty pleas of four activists who allegedly collaborated with Russian officials without registering as foreign agents. Chief Judge William Pryor, appointed by George W. Bush, argued that the law in question imposes a neutral burden on speech to protect national security, not to suppress particular viewpoints. The panel concluded that evidence linked Omali Yeshitela, the African People’s Socialist Party founder, and members Penny Hess, Jesse Nevel, and Augustus Romain Jr., leader of Black Hammer, to a coordinated effort directed by Aleksandr Ionov of the Moscow-based Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia.

Between 2015 and 2022 the group allegedly received about $7,000 to organize demonstrations in multiple U.S. cities, including protests at one outlet and the Georgia State Capitol, and to draft a 2015 UN petition accusing the United States of genocide against African peoples. The defendants had acknowledged a voluntary agreement with Russian contacts, describing the partnership as an alliance. Judges Andrew Brasher and Jill Pryor joined the opinion, rejecting the defense’s claim that the actions were protected political speech.