Two Russians Sentenced in Angola for Terrorism and Spying

Two Russian nationals, Lev Lakshtanov and Igor Ratchin, were convicted by an Angolan court of terrorism and espionage after prosecutors alleged they plotted a coup and helped orchestrate deadly demonstrations over fuel prices in Angola last year. The court sentenced Lakshtanov to eight years’ imprisonment and Ratchin to eleven years, finding that the pair had coordinated with external actors to destabilise the government and incite violence in the southern African nation.

Both men denied the accusations, maintaining that their presence in Angola was limited to cultural and business activities unrelated to any subversive plot. The verdict, delivered amid heightened scrutiny of foreign interference in Angola’s internal affairs, underscores the government’s resolve to penalise actions it deems threatening to national security.