Grigori Chjartishvili

Grigori Chjartishvili, better known by his pen name Boris Akunin, is a prominent Russian author recognized for his historical detective novels. Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, he was one of the most widely read writers in Russia. Since 2014, he has lived in exile in London, where he has been an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin's regime. In early 2024, he was sentenced to 14 years in absentia for charges related to terrorism and failing to comply with the duties of a 'foreign agent,' reflecting the Kremlin's crackdown on dissenting voices.