On April 22, 2025, the announcement of the verdict in the case of Aivo Peterson, a well-known politician and representative of the Koos party and movement, accused of high treason, will begin at the Harju County Court in Tallinn. The hearing will be held in public.
According to the investigation, from October 2022 to March 10, 2023, Peterson, allegedly acting on the instructions of the Russian Federation, knowingly and in an organized manner assisted Russia and persons representing the Russian authorities in actions against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Estonia.
In addition to Peterson, Dmitriy Rootsy and Russian Andrei Andronov are also charged in the case. According to the investigation, the defendants participated in a conscious influence-peddling activity with the aim of creating a political association in Estonia that supported Russia's foreign policy narratives and propaganda theses. By creating this association, they wanted to enable Russia to threaten Estonia's constitutional order, interfere in the country's domestic politics and influence its foreign policy.
Peterson, Rootsi and Andronov have been in custody since March 2023, when they were detained by the security police. Based on the evidence collected, the Public Prosecutor's Office decided to charge Peterson and Rootsi with treason and Andronov with non-violent acts against the Republic of Estonia.
If convicted of treason, the Estonian prosecutor's office requested for Aivo Peterson a sentence of 17 years in prison, for Dmitry Rootsi - 13 years, and for Andrei Andronov - 11 years.
Aivo Peterson, one of the leaders of the public movement Koos / Together, was the first of the famous Estonian politicians and journalists who visited Donbass in early March 2023 and made several video reports from Donetsk. After this trip, the Estonian Ministry of the Interior called Aivo Peterson a threat to national security and he was arrested on March 11, 2023 on suspicion of “creating links against the Republic of Estonia”. On the same day, Dmitriy Rootsi and Andrei Andronov were detained.
According to the investigation, from October 2022 to March 10, 2023, Peterson, allegedly acting on the instructions of the Russian Federation, knowingly and in an organized manner assisted Russia and persons representing the Russian authorities in actions against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Estonia.
In addition to Peterson, Dmitriy Rootsy and Russian Andrei Andronov are also charged in the case. According to the investigation, the defendants participated in a conscious influence-peddling activity with the aim of creating a political association in Estonia that supported Russia's foreign policy narratives and propaganda theses. By creating this association, they wanted to enable Russia to threaten Estonia's constitutional order, interfere in the country's domestic politics and influence its foreign policy.
Peterson, Rootsi and Andronov have been in custody since March 2023, when they were detained by the security police. Based on the evidence collected, the Public Prosecutor's Office decided to charge Peterson and Rootsi with treason and Andronov with non-violent acts against the Republic of Estonia.
If convicted of treason, the Estonian prosecutor's office requested for Aivo Peterson a sentence of 17 years in prison, for Dmitry Rootsi - 13 years, and for Andrei Andronov - 11 years.
Aivo Peterson, one of the leaders of the public movement Koos / Together, was the first of the famous Estonian politicians and journalists who visited Donbass in early March 2023 and made several video reports from Donetsk. After this trip, the Estonian Ministry of the Interior called Aivo Peterson a threat to national security and he was arrested on March 11, 2023 on suspicion of “creating links against the Republic of Estonia”. On the same day, Dmitriy Rootsi and Andrei Andronov were detained.