Four Black rights activists associated with the African People’s Socialist Party and Uhuru Movement have been found guilty in a Florida federal court of conspiring to act as unregistered Russian agents. The activists include an 82-year-old chairman, a 78-year-old leader, a 34-year-old leader, and a 38-year-old former member who established his own group.
The jury deliberated for a day before returning the guilty verdicts on the conspiracy charges, which carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The more serious charges of acting as agents of a foreign government were not upheld by the jurors.
The trial, which was expected to last a month, concluded after a week of testimony. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants collaborated with the Russian government to sow political discord and interfere in U.S. elections.
Defense attorneys argued that the defendants were unaware of the Russian intelligence ties of the individual they worked with, and that the government's case posed a threat to the First Amendment rights of the activists.
While the case has some similarities to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the judge clarified that those issues were not part of this trial. The activists were accused of staging protests and taking actions that aligned with Russian interests over a six-year period.
Despite their connections to a Russian organization, the defense emphasized that the actions taken by the African People's Socialist Party and Uhuru Movement were consistent with their advocacy for Black empowerment and opposition to colonialism for over 50 years.
