OVD-Info
Russia · OVD-Info
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryRussia
Age / Sex38 · male
OccupationJournalists
Arrested inMoscow, Moscow
Held at—
CategoryJournalism
StatusConvicted
Sentence11 years
Russia · context
1,220documented cases
376 urgent · 72 report torture
Most common grounds
Journalism
125
Unknown
2
Cultural
2
Ethnic
29
Diplomatic
International Attention documented.
Identified by international monitoring bodies and diplomatic missions as a priority concern.
Case Summary
Ruslan Leviev, a journalist, was sentenced in absentia to 11 years in prison for spreading "fakes" about the Russian Armed Forces' activities in Ukraine. The charges stemmed from a video questioning the official account of the Zaporizhzhya NPP shelling and a broadcast about a Russian airstrike on a hospital in Mariupol.
Key Facts
04 entries- 0111-year prison sentence in absentia
- 02Charged under Article 207.3 for spreading fakes
- 03Questioned the official account of the Zaporizhzhya NPP shelling
- 04Spoke about a Russian airstrike on a hospital in Mariupol
02Charges
Charges
01 count- 01fakes about the activity of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine
Criminal Code Articles
01 articleArt. 207.3
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorUnknown
Inferred demographics
70%EthnicitySlavic Russian
Region of originSlavic Russia
ReligionUnknown
The name structure and common usage in Moscow suggest a Slavic Russian background, though the specific name elements are not exclusively Russian.
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
May 1, 2022
Sentence served
4y 2mo / 11 years
05Sources
Data Source
Source vs. PPW analysis
OVD-InfoCase facts, charges, dates, and status.
PPW analysisRisk, surveillance & sentence estimates — probabilistic, not the source's reporting.
View all data sources →§ Updates
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Cite this case
Political Prisoner Watch. (2026). Case file: Ruslan Leviev (PPW case cmi88499). Retrieved July 6, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmi884992003kli0t31bzpnrl. Original data from OVD-Info (https://repression.info/ru/persons/ruslan-leviev-karpuk).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.
