OVD-Info
Russia · OVD-Info
01Overview
Quick Facts
CountryRussia
Age / Sex50 · male
OccupationPolitician, Entrepreneur
Arrested inTolyatti, Samara Oblast
Held atFederal Governmental Institution "Penal colony no. 10 of the Russian Penitentiary Directorate of Samara region"
CategorySocial media
StatusConvicted
Sentence7 years
Russia · context
1,245documented cases
387 urgent · 76 report torture
Most common grounds
Journalism
125
Unknown
2
Cultural
2
Ethnic
31
Case Summary
Andrey Balin, a former politician, was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for spreading false information about the Armed Forces on VKontakte. He has previously faced charges for inciting hatred.
Key Facts
04 entries- 01Sentenced to 7 years for spreading false information on VKontakte.
- 02Former politician.
- 03Previously charged with inciting hatred.
- 04Threatened by a fellow inmate.
02Charges
Charges
01 count- 01Spreading false information about the Armed Forces
Criminal Code Articles
01 articleArt. 207.3
03Analysis
Predicting Vector
Surveillance vector
Surveillance vectorSocial Media Monitoring
Technology usedVKontakte
Inferred demographics
90%EthnicitySlavic Russian
Region of originSlavic Russia
ReligionOrthodox Christian
The name Andrey is a common Slavic name, and Balin is a typical Russian surname.
04Timeline
Case Timeline
Arrest date
June 10, 2022
Sentence served
4y 1mo / 7 years
05Related
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The closest historical cases in our archive whose subjects walked free — the playbooks that worked for someone in a comparable situation.
06Sources
Data Source
Source vs. PPW analysis
OVD-InfoCase facts, charges, dates, and status.
PPW analysisRisk, surveillance & sentence estimates — probabilistic, not the source's reporting.
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Cite this case
Political Prisoner Watch. (2026). Case file: Andrey Balin (PPW case cmi884v8, record version 2026-05-26). Retrieved July 16, 2026, from https://politicalprisonerwatch.org/prisoners/cmi884v8a003pli0tmar83j36. Original data from OVD-Info (https://repression.info/ru/persons/andrey-balin).
Formats reflect this case as an online database record. Always verify the original source before citing in legal filings.
