The Justice Department announced on Thursday that four US black rights activists have been convicted for conspiring to act as unregistered Russian agents. These defendants – Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess, Jesse Nevel, and Augustus C. Romain Jr. were found guilty of “conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government.” The four face a maximum penalty of five years in prison, but no sentencing date has been set yet.
This case is part of the ongoing legal proceedings against Russian human rights activist Aleksandr Ionov, who leads the Russian Anti-Globalization Movement. Prosecutors argue that between 2015 and 2022, the four defendants performed actions on behalf of the Russian government and received money and support from Ionov, who is believed to have connections with Russian intelligence.
Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel were also charged with the more serious crime of acting as agents of a foreign government; however, jurors cleared them of these charges. The Justice Department stated that all four of those convicted are or were affiliated with the African People’s Socialist Party and Uhuru Movement, which defends the rights of African people. The defense argued that the government only prosecuted the accused due to their pro-Russian views.
Yeshitela, Hess, Nevel, and Romain each have connections with various black rights movements in America. Yeshitela is the movement’s 82-year-old leader, while Hess and Nevel are members of varying ages. Romain, a former member, founded the Atlanta-based Black Hammer Party in 2018.
In an interview with RT last week, Ionov claimed that there was no evidence to support the charges against him or the other defendants. The defense also noted that none of the twelve jurors were black, and after a black woman was dismissed from the original line-up in the second week of the trial, the judge denied their request to replace her with an alternate black juror.
Yeshitela stated that it was important for them to be found not guilty of working for anybody except black people. The defense emphasized that the jury was unable to convict the activists of collaborating with a foreign entity, and they were willing to be charged and found guilty of working solely for the rights of African people.