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Comprehensive archive of political persecution — 25 individuals fighting for freedom and justice

Documented Cases.

Comprehensive archive of political persecution — 25 individuals fighting for freedom and justice across Russia, Belarus, Georgia, and Central Asia.

Country

Urgency

Andrei Pirogov

A 60-year-old Ukrainian citizen, an electrician living in Podolsk, has been arrested on espionage charges. Before his criminal arrest, he was subjected to 'carousel arrests' involving 11 administrative charges for minor offenses.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, Russia

political

Galina Shustanova

Galina Shustanova, a 64-year-old pensioner, was sentenced to seven years in a general regime colony for organizing the 'Soviet People' group, which was linked to the extremist 'Citizens of the USSR' organization. She denied any wrongdoing and claimed she only discussed the special military operation.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · JUL 6, 2026

Moscow region, Russia

Social media

Marat Nikandrov

Blogger Marat Nikandrov was sentenced to an eight-month suspended sentence for failing to submit activity reports as a designated 'foreign agent'. Nikandrov had previously applied for the status 'as a joke'.

LAST UPDATED · JUL 6, 2026

Krasnogorsk, Moscow region

political

Galina Shustanova

Galina Shustanova, a 64-year-old retiree, was sentenced to seven years in a general regime colony for allegedly organizing the 'Soviet People' group, which was linked to the extremist 'Citizens of the USSR' organization. She denies all charges.

LAST UPDATED · JUL 5, 2026

Ramenskoye, Moscow region

Activism

Nikolay Markin

The criminal case against eco-activist and 'Yabloko' member Nikolay Markin for spreading 'fake news' about the Russian army was dismissed due to the statute of limitations. Markin had previously claimed he was coerced into admitting guilt.

LAST UPDATED · JUL 5, 2026

Moscow, Moscow region

treason

Vladimir Prokopenko

Vladimir Prokopenko, a Ukrainian native with Russian citizenship, was arrested in Moscow on charges of high treason. Prior to this arrest, he had been repeatedly administratively detained for petty hooliganism in various locations in and around Moscow.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Pushkino, Moscow Region

political

Andrey Vorobyov

Entrepreneur Andrey Vorobyov was sentenced to three years of probation for making seven small donations (100 rubles each) to the FBK (Anti-Corruption Foundation). The case was opened in late 2025, and his phone was confiscated.

LAST UPDATED · JUL 3, 2026

Vladimir Goy

Vladimir Goy, a 47-year-old builder from the Moscow region who was born in Ukraine, has been arrested on charges of treason. Prior to this, he had been subjected to repeated administrative arrests since June for petty hooliganism.

LAST UPDATED · JUN 24, 2026

Korolev, Moscow region

Activism

Dainis Mucenieks

Dainis Mucenieks, a local resident of Korolev, was detained for demanding documents from the contractor building a road through Losiny Ostrov. He was released without a protocol after being taken to the police station.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Dmitrov, Moscow region

Social media

Aleksandra Sergeevna Byzova

Aleksandra Byzova was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in a penal colony for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. This followed prior administrative charges related to her social media posts expressing anti-government sentiments and support for Ukraine.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Serpukhov, Moscow region

treason

Andrey Pirogov

Andrey Pirogov, a 60-year-old Ukrainian citizen, has been arrested in Moscow on suspicion of espionage. He was previously subjected to a series of administrative arrests before being transferred to pre-trial detention.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Khimki, Moscow region

political

Evgeny Fedorov

Evgeny Fedorov, an employee of a defense plant specializing in radar components, was sentenced to 14 years in a strict regime colony for high treason. The trial was held in closed mode.

LAST UPDATED · JUL 3, 2026

Balashikha, Moscow Region

Religious

Nikolay Romanyuk

Nikolay Romanyuk, a Pentecostal pastor, was arrested after armed raids on his home and church members' homes for preaching against the war in Ukraine. He faces up to 6 years' imprisonment if convicted under Criminal Code Article 280.4 for public calls against state security.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · JUN 24, 2026

Sergei Ivanovich Krasyuk

Sergei Krasyuk, a leading engineer, was sentenced to 3 years in a general regime colony for discrediting the Russian Armed Forces. He is accused of making anti-Russian inscriptions on key tags at a defense enterprise, which allegedly disrupted operations.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Orekhovo-Zuyevo district, Moscow region

Social media

Apestin Vladislav Vladimirovich

Vladislav Apestin, a volleyball coach and blogger, was arrested on August 12, 2024, and charged with public propaganda of terrorism for posting a video of the Legion "Freedom of Russia" on his VK page. The case is currently being reviewed after the court deemed a key piece of evidence inadmissible.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Dmitrov, Moscow region

Other

Marchenko Eldar Mikael ogly

Eldar Marchenko, a marketing director and sports management professor, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for allegedly committing a terrorist act. He claims to have been tortured into confessing to working for Ukrainian special services.

URGENT ACTION INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Mytishchi, Moscow region

anti war

Vera Nikolaevna Nikolaeva

Vera Nikolaeva was sentenced to 1 year of forced labor for damaging military graves and monuments dedicated to defenders of the Fatherland. She was detained from June 3 to August 26 and from September 12, 2024.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Shchelkovo, Moscow region

treason

Roman Vladimirovich Mayorov

Roman Mayorov was sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in prison for collaborating with a foreign state or organization. His prosecution was preceded by a series of administrative arrests on petty hooliganism charges.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Dolgoprudny, Moscow region

Other

Egor Vladimirovich Melnikov

Egor Melnikov was sentenced to 7 years in prison for sabotage. He was accused of arson aimed at damaging transport infrastructure to undermine the economic security of the Russian Federation.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Baratov Usman Akramovich

Usman Baratov was sentenced to 4 years in prison for a social media post criticizing the price of eggs, interpreted as denigrating Russian soldiers involved in the war. He claims he was severely beaten during his arrest and may have been injected with a substance.

URGENT ACTION

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Pavel Alekseevich Elmanov

Pavel Elmanov was sentenced to 10 years for preparing to join the Azov battalion and other related charges. He allegedly corresponded with Azov members, acquired equipment, and planned travel to Ukraine.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Lyubertsy, Moscow region

Journalism

Sergey Sergeevich Mikhailov

Sergey Mikhailov, founder of the opposition newspaper "Listok," was sentenced to 8 years for disseminating false information about the Russian army's actions in Ukraine. He is accused of publishing information about the destruction of a maternity hospital and drama theater in Mariupol, and the killing of civilians in Bucha.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Lukhovitsy, Moscow region

Protest

Kirill Vladimirovich Butylin

Kirill Butylin was sentenced to 13 years in prison for setting fire to a military enlistment office. He was charged with terrorism, public calls for terrorism, and vandalism motivated by political hatred after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails into the building.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Ramenskoye, Moscow region

Journalism

Aleksandr Borisovich Dorogov

Aleksandr Dorogov, a blogger and journalist for Rosderzhava, was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in a strict regime colony for extortion. He was arrested on July 29, 2020.

LAST UPDATED · MAY 26, 2026

Convicted