Tampa, Florida - A motion to dismiss Russian influence charges against the co-founder and chairman of the African People's Socialist Party (APSP) and two of his top allies has been denied, with a trial date expected to come soon.

US Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli filed an order on January 26 recommending that District Judge William Jung deny a motion to dismiss charges against APSP Chairman Omali Yeshitela along with Penny Hess and Jesse Nevel, two white solidarity organizers with the associated Uhuru Movement.

On July 29, 2022, the FBI – with the cooperation of local law enforcement – violently raided seven properties of the APSP and the Uhuru Movement in St. Louis, Missouri, and St. Petersburg, Florida.

It wasn't until nine months later that the US Department of Justice announced indictments in the case, targeting Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel.

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The "Uhuru Three" were accused of working as agents of the Russian government in "a multi-year foreign malign influence campaign in the United States" seeking to influence domestic elections – charges they have flatly denied.

"The U.S. government has put us in the position of having to fight for the free speech that they claim is the cornerstone of U.S. democracy," Yeshitela said in a press statement.

A date for the trial, expected to take place later this year, will likely be set at a status hearing in February.