Russia
Политические заключённые в России
1,057 documented cases
Russia holds the largest documented population of political prisoners in Europe. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, prosecutions under Article 207.3 ('fakes' about the army) and Article 280.3 ('discrediting' the army) have driven a sustained wave of arrests of journalists, anti-war demonstrators, ordinary citizens posting on social media, and members of suppressed religious or ethnic minorities.
Political Prisoner Watch aggregates verified case records from the leading Russian human rights organizations — OVD-Info, Memorial, and Mediazona — translates them into English, and standardizes the case taxonomy so journalists, lawyers, and researchers can search by region, charge, demographic, and urgency. Cases here are sourced from public reporting; we do not generate primary documentation.
Nikolai Martynyuk, a Ukrainian citizen from the Lugansk region, was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison for participating in a terrorist community. He served in the Aidar battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from 2014 to 2015.
Vladimir Belkovich, a college student, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for state treason, preparing to participate in a terrorist organization, and inciting another person to terrorist activity. He was accused of posting leaflets for the Legion "Freedom of Russia" and expressing intent to join the organization.
Nikolai Lenitsky, a resident of the Kherson region of Ukraine, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for spreading false information about the Russian Armed Forces based on political hatred. He allegedly posted a video claiming Russian forces bombed a village in the Bryansk region, resulting in civilian deaths.
V. A. N. was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months of forced labor for disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces. The appeal was upheld.
Sergey Bryuhanov, an artist from Irkutsk, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for treason, propaganda of terrorism, participation in a terrorist organization, and training for terrorist activities. The charges relate to his alleged support for the Legion "Freedom of Russia" and gathering information on Russian military objects.
Ilya Konstantinov, a teacher, is being prosecuted for disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces and for publicly justifying terrorism. The verdict is currently unknown.
Ivan Bogdel, a stylist and club owner, is accused of organizing and participating in the activities of an extremist organization due to his alleged affiliation with the banned "International LGBT Movement". He was initially placed under house arrest, but it was changed to pre-trial detention.
Evgeniya Mandrygina, a journalist from Krasnoyarsk, was sentenced to 3 years of forced labor for allegedly using violence against a military commissar. The incident occurred while she was reporting on mobilization efforts.
Grigorii Chkhartishvili, known as Boris Akunin, faces charges of justifying terrorism, attempting to violently change the constitutional order, and evading foreign agent obligations. The case was initiated after a conversation with pranksters and has led to book bans and searches of his publisher.
Writer Grigory Chkhartishvili, known as Boris Akunin, was sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for publicly justifying terrorism, promoting terrorist activity, and failing to comply with obligations as a designated "foreign agent." The charges stemmed from a recorded conversation where he expressed support for Ukraine and organized fundraising efforts.
Vladimir Korsunov, a Ukrainian citizen and pensioner with a disability, was sentenced to 5 years in a colony-settlement for participating in a terrorist community. He served in the Aidar battalion from November 2014 to February 2015.
Vadim Krivoruchko, former head of a psychological diagnostics center, was found guilty of cooperating with a foreign entity. He has been in custody since approximately June 2023, but his sentence is unknown.
261 of 1,057 cases are not yet plotted on the map, typically because the public source did not record a precise location.