In December 2025, the Harju County Court found Aivo Peterson guilty of treason and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

The Harju County Court also convicted Dmitry Rootsi of treason. The court found Russian citizen Andrei Andronov guilty of non-violent activities against Estonia as a foreigner. Each received 11-year sentences.

The judgments are not yet final.

The verdicts satisfied neither the defense nor the prosecution, leading the district court to hear arguments from both sides on April 2.

The Estonian State Prosecutor's Office considers the initial punishments too lenient and is seeking to increase Peterson's sentence to 17 years and Rootsi's to 13 years.

The primary dispute centers on the defendants' alleged creation of a "militia unit." The county court previously ruled that this activity was not directly aimed at Estonia, citing a lack of evidence that the group received instructions from Russia. The prosecution, however, argues that creating a structure operating in Russia's interests constitutes a crime, regardless of whether it was initiated by the defendants or ordered directly by Moscow.

Lawyers for all three defendants are seeking full acquittals. In Peterson's case, the defense alleges procedural errors and argues that the lower court's conclusions do not align with the evidence. Alternatively, Peterson's attorney has requested that the case be returned for a new hearing or that the sentence be significantly reduced.

For Dmitry Rootsi, the defense has proposed an alternative of reclassifying the charge from treason to the lesser offense of maintaining relations directed against the Republic of Estonia. This lesser charge carries a maximum sentence of six years, nearly half of his current sentence.

Meanwhile, Andrei Andronov's attorney is demanding the complete annulment of the first-instance ruling and a full acquittal, without offering any alternative proposals.
 

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