Documented cases

18 people held for political reasons in Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Central Asia. Search by name, or filter by country, charge, arrest date and sentence.

Country

Urgency

Alexey Shcherba

Alexey Shcherba, a cook from Dzerzhinsk, has a criminal case open against him for dissemination of deliberately false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The details of the verdict are unknown.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Arshinova Tatyana Pavlovna

Tatyana Arshinova, a civil activist from Nizhny Novgorod, is accused of participating in the activities of an extremist organization due to reposts in support of Alexei Navalny. She has been detained since July 17, 2025.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Detained

RU-CMGN

40 YRS

Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

Social media

Pavel Bashkurov

Pavel Bashkurov is being prosecuted for allegedly disseminating false information about the Russian Armed Forces. The sentence in his case is currently unknown.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

unknown

RU-CMGN

22 YRS

Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

Social media

Alexey Pavlovich Volsky

Alexey Volsky was prosecuted for a VK post criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine. He was initially under house arrest, then subject to a travel ban, and later ordered to undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment before being released from punishment and ordered to receive compulsory medical treatment of a specialized type.

HEALTH CONCERNS

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Released

RU-CMU9

28 YRS

Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia

Vadim Slinyakov

Vadim Slinyakov was sentenced to 19 years in a strict regime colony for high treason, sabotage, and money laundering. He will spend the first five years in a prison.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 18, 2026

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Journalism

Igor Eydman

Publicist Igor Eydman was arrested in absentia by a court in Nizhny Novgorod. He faces multiple charges, including participating in a terrorist organization due to his social media activity and interviews supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · OCT 10, 2026

Detained

RU-CMMD

37 YRS

Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

Social media

Anton Voronin

Anton Voronin, a 37-year-old resident of Nizhny Novgorod, was arrested for participating in the activities of an extremist organization (FBK) due to a repost on his Telegram channel. He reported being beaten, subjected to electric shocks, and otherwise abused during his detention.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Detained

RU-CMHD

AGE UNKNOWN

Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod region

Protest

Grigory Sheyanov

Grigory Sheyanov was detained at a memorial service for victims of political repression in Nizhny Novgorod. He was released after giving an explanation.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Detained

RU-CMR8

50 YRS

Nizhny Novgorod region

Alexey Ivankov

Alexey Ivankov was sentenced to 17 years in prison for high treason and preparing sabotage. He was accused of photographing cellular base stations for Ukrainian intelligence and being offered money to burn them.

LAST UPDATED · NOV 9, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMTB

44 YRS

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Sergey Irin

Sergey Irin, a former Yandex employee, was arrested for treason after donating $500 to the Ukrainian fund 'Back to Life' in February 2022. He was reportedly interrogated using an electric shocker and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · OCT 27, 2026

Sergej Nikolaevich Irin

Sergej Irin, a programmer, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for donating to a Ukrainian charity. He was arrested after returning to Russia to visit family and was allegedly tortured after his arrest.

TORTURE REPORTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · AUG 20, 2026

Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region

Activism

Gennady Vasilevich Artyomenko

Gennady Artyomenko was sentenced to 18 years for high treason and terrorism-related charges after allegedly collaborating with the 'ATESH' movement. He claims explosives were planted by authorities and reports being tortured during investigation.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · SEP 10, 2026

Mikhail Aleksandrovich Zharikov

Mikhail Zharikov was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in prison for spreading false information about the Russian army, justifying terrorism, and rehabilitating Nazism. He was arrested in July 2023 for his online posts and a live stream where he criticized the Russian government and the war in Ukraine.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Ganin Sergey Sergeevich

Sergey Ganin was sentenced to 9 years for participating in the Volunteer Ukrainian Corps (DUK) in 2014-2015. The prosecution was initiated after Ganin was allegedly planning to travel to Ukraine again in 2023.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

68 YRS

Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast

Anti-war

Lev Lerman

Lev Lerman was arrested for illegally storing cartridges. Lerman's relatives believe his arrest was due to his anti-war statements on social media. He was initially arrested for violating rally regulations and then subsequently charged and sentenced to four years in a penal colony before being released on May 30, 2025.

HEALTH CONCERNS

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Zarema Abuyazitovna Musaeva

Zarema Musaeva, wife of a retired federal judge, was forcibly taken from Nizhny Novgorod to Chechnya and sentenced to 5.5 years, later reduced to 4 years and 9 months, in a colony settlement. She was convicted of violence against a government official and fraud, with a new charge of disorganizing the activities of institutions ensuring isolation from society added later.

HEALTH CONCERNS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Ismail Sajputyevich Isaev

Ismail Isaev was sentenced to 6 years in a general regime colony for aiding and abetting participation in an illegal armed formation. He was a member of an opposition Telegram chat and was arrested in Nizhny Novgorod.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Saleh Saypudinovich Magamadov

Saleh Magamadov was sentenced to 8 years in prison for aiding and abetting participation in an illegal armed formation. He was a participant in an opposition Telegram chat and was arrested in Nizhny Novgorod.

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

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