IMPA fired Mikhail Verbitsky after blog posts

The letter says that Verbitsky’s posts contained “offensive and inappropriate content” for his position. It also claims that the publications could have led to “potential negative consequences”, including for IMPA’s reputation.

Which exact posts led to the dismissal is not specified in the document. The letter includes a link to Verbitsky’s page on the blog hosting service lj.rossia. The mathematician created this service in the 2000s as an independent alternative to LiveJournal, and he now runs the blog tiphareth there.

In February 2025, the Nagatinsky Court of Moscow ordered Verbitsky’s arrest in absentia in a case involving the justification of terrorism. The case was opened because of his statement about the attack at Crocus City Hall.

In January 2025, the mathematician was added to Rosfinmonitoring’s list of “terrorists and extremists” and was declared wanted. On June 12, 2026, he was detained at Zvartnots Airport in Armenia at the request of the Russian authorities, after which he was released from custody and flew to Israel.

Sources

• Mediazona