In response to his arrest, widely seen as politically motivated, unsuccessful mass protests were held in the region calling for his release.

[1] In February 2023, Furgal was sentenced to 22 years in prison following a jury guilty verdict for double murder.

In 2008, Furgal was awarded the Honorary Diploma of the Chairman of the State Duma for his contributions to the development of legislation and parliamentarism in Russia.

When Furgal announced his candidacy in the 2018 gubernatorial election, he was widely seen as having little chance of victory, as incumbent Vyacheslav Shport was expected to win.

... Putin had personally backed the incumbent, Vyacheslav Shport, so Furgal’s refusal to quit the race was seen as unforgivable".

[11] On 9 July 2020, Furgal was arrested by federal authorities on charges of involvement in multiple murders of several businessmen in the region and nearby territories in 2004 and 2005.

On 11 July, tens of thousands of people were estimated to have taken part in the protests in Khabarovsk against Furgal's arrest with slogans against President Putin, alleging the timing of the arrest was politically motivated – Furgal won by a landslide against the Kremlin's candidate in Khabarovsk Krai's gubernatorial election in 2018.

[19] According to the Financial Times, an employee of the Russian presidential administration said on condition of anonymity that: "The target set for my colleagues was to decrease the approval rating for governor Furgal, and prepare him for election defeat.