The Case
Leon Levenstein, age 5, is a U.S. citizen separated from his American father, Nicholas Levenstein, and held in Russia since December 2023.
Leon was in Russia with his mother, Anna Lyudniovskova, when she tragically passed away in 2023. Despite Nick's legal parental rights as Leon's father, Russian courts and Guardianship Authority have repeatedly blocked Nick's contact with his son.
Leon has not seen or spoken with his father in nearly three years.
Legal Posture — 6 Active Tracks
- Constitutional Court (Russia) — Complaint accepted for review Jan 2026 (Petition No. 9488/15-01/2026). Most viable active track.
- Paternity and Custody lawsuit — pending
- Visitation — denied by Golovinsky District Court Dec 12 2025; on appeal
- Criminal complaint against Guardianship Authority officials — pending
- Hague Convention — original case rejected Dec 2024; Hague-specific appeals ongoing
- Indonesian Social Ministry inspection documented
Key Dates
- December 5, 2023 — Last day Nick saw Leon
- December 2024 — Hague Convention case denied
- December 12, 2025 — Golovinsky District Court denies Nick's visitation rights
- January 15, 2026 — Constitutional Court accepts complaint for review
- September 30, 2026 — Target campaign milestone date
Contact
Nicholas Levenstein (father)
Email: nick@levenstein.net
Phone: +1 415 378 1302 (WhatsApp / Signal / Telegram)
Press inquiries: admin@levenstein.net
Website: bringleonhome.org
Petition: Change.org/p/expedite-leon-levenstein
Media Assets
- Father Vlog Episode 2 (bilingual EN+RU) — bringleonhome.org/home-v2
- 6 cleared press photos — bringleonhome.org/press-v2
- Full timeline 2023–2026 — bringleonhome.org/the-case-v2
- Attribution: "Courtesy of the Levenstein family"