Trial begins in Florida for activists accused of helping Russia sow political division, chaos

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Trial began Tuesday in Florida for four activists accused of illegally acting as Russian agents to help the Kremlin sow political discord and interfere in U.S. elections.

All four are or were affiliated with the African People’s Socialist Party and Uhuru Movement, which has locations in St. Petersburg, Florida, and St. Louis. Among those charged is Omali Yeshitela, the 82-year-old chairman of the U.S.-based organization focused on Black empowerment and the effort to obtain reparations for slavery and what it considers the past genocide of Africans.

In an opening statement, Yeshitela attorney Ade Griffin said the group shared many goals of a Russian organization called the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia but was not acting under control of that nation’s government.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that simply is not true,” Griffin told a racially mixed jury. “This is a case about censorship.”

Yeshitela and two others face charges of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and failing to register with the Justice Department as agents of a foreign government. The fourth defendant, who later founded a separate group in Atlanta called Black Hammer, faces only the conspiracy charge. They have all pleaded not guilty.

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