A court in Angola’s capital, Luanda, has found two Russian nationals guilty on charges of espionage and terrorism, sentencing them to prison terms of 11 and eight years respectively. Political consultant Igor Ratchin received the longer sentence, while translator Lev Lakshtanov was handed down eight years. Both men had pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The pair were detained in August last year over suspicions that they had been fomenting anti-government demonstrations, waging a disinformation campaign and seeking to meddle in the country’s presidential election scheduled for next year. Their legal team had earlier sought their extradition to Russia under existing bilateral agreements, though it remains unclear whether the court granted that request.

According to the indictment obtained by the BBC, Angolan authorities accused Ratchin and Lakshtanov of being part of a political influence operation tied to Africa Politology – described by prosecutors as a Russian political network that grew out of the now-defunct Wagner mercenary group. The network allegedly aimed to promote anti-Western narratives, cultivate political ties and sway Angolan politics in the run-up to the elections. The defendants rejected any association with Wagner or the Russian government, insisting instead that they were simply drawing up plans to open a Russian cultural centre in Luanda.

Wagner-linked political operatives have been present across Africa for over a decade, particularly in the Central African Republic, Mali and Madagascar.

Also facing trial on related charges were two Angolans – sports journalist Amor Carlos Tomé and political activist Francisco Oliveira – for their alleged involvement in the Russian-linked influence operation. Both denied the accusations. Tomé was handed a two-year suspended sentence, while Oliveira was acquitted. Prosecutors lodged an immediate appeal following the verdict, which was delivered after 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Tomé is expected to remain in custody pending the appeal’s outcome.

The BBC has sought comment from the Russian embassy in Angola but had not received a reply at the time of publication.

Elizeu Nguiniti, the lawyer representing Ratchin and Lakshtanov, told the BBC he would not comment on the ruling. However, he told the court after the judgement that he disagreed with the outcome – which found his clients guilty on four of 11 counts: criminal association, espionage, terrorism and illegal currency retention – but said he accepted the court’s decision.

Local news outlet Novo Jornal reported that during earlier hearings, the Russians had acknowledged holding private meetings with political figures from both the ruling MPLA and the opposition Unita parties, but maintained that those meetings were not linked to any unlawful activity. The court reportedly rejected a defence motion to call several of those politicians as witnesses, ruling that their testimony was “not necessary” for establishing the facts of the case.

Prosecutors alleged that the defendants had a hand in organising deadly unrest in Angola in 2025. They claimed the Russians paid local journalists and experts more than $24,000 (£18,000) to disseminate pro-Russian and anti-government material intended to trigger political upheaval in Angola. Prosecutors also pointed to publications connected to the operation, notes and photographs from the 2025 protests discovered on the defendants’ devices, as well as alleged contacts with senior Angolan political figures. Many Angolan activists, however, strongly reject the prosecution’s assertion that the protests were not spontaneous.

Novo Jornal previously reported that Lakshtanov told the court during one hearing that he had lived and worked in Angola for nearly four decades and that his long academic career was incompatible with involvement in terrorist organisations. Earlier, Ratchin had explained to the court that he was a businessman who had come to Angola to establish a Russian cultural centre and that payments he made to various individuals were compensation for services rendered, Novo Jornal reported. He reportedly said he was surprised by his arrest in August 2025.