Documented cases

87 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

Maxim Evstropov

Maxim Evstropov, an artist and founder of the "Party of the Dead," is facing charges related to his posts on Telegram and VKontakte around Easter. The posts contained photographs of a protest at a cemetery with anti-war posters.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

on trial

RU-CMGO

AGE UNKNOWN

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Social media

Andrei Tishchenko

Andrei Tishchenko, a resident of St. Petersburg, received a suspended sentence of 2.5 years for rehabilitating Nazism. The charges stemmed from a satirical text he posted online comparing referendums in occupied territories to a hypothetical referendum during the siege of Leningrad.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Social media

Varvara Lemann

Varvara Lemann was sentenced to three years in prison for incitement to terrorism, stemming from a video posted in a Telegram group calling for the overthrow of the Russian government and violence against military leaders. Lemann claimed her views changed after a visit from FSB officers and now supports Russian actions.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

29 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Protest

Kirill Korolev

Kirill Korolev was initially sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment for attacking police officers at an anti-war rally. The sentence was later replaced with a suspended sentence after appeal.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Released

RU-CMI8

29 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Anti-war

Evgeniya Smetankina

Evgeniya Smetankina is on trial for a false bomb threat against a police station in St. Petersburg. She was previously detained for an anti-war banner and fired from her job.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

on trial

RU-CMGN

37 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Activism

Nikita Yuferev

Nikita Yuferev, a former municipal deputy from St. Petersburg, faces criminal charges for discrediting the military via tweets and an appeal to the State Duma. He left Russia in October 2022 and is currently not in the country.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 8, 2026

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Social media

Unknown male 345

A resident of St. Petersburg was detained for allegedly justifying the bombing that killed Vladlen Tatarsky, calling for violence against participants in the war in Ukraine, and suggesting blowing up a law enforcement building. He was detained in a dramatic raid.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Detained

RU-CMI8

28 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Activism

Konstantin Pokhilchuk

Konstantin Pokhilchuk is accused of making a false bomb threat report against a police station. He was given an ultimatum to leave the country or face charges for online statements and has since left Russia.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

on trial

RU-CMI8

23 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Protest

Nikita Chirkov

Nikita Chirkov was charged with vandalism for applying an anti-war inscription on a monument in St. Petersburg. He was sentenced to one year of restrictions on freedom.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

36 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Social media

Alexander Karasev

Alexander Karasev was fined for comments made in the chat room of the project 'I Want to Live'. The comments called for violence against Rublevskoye Highway residents.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Varvara Viktorovna Lehmann

Varvara Lehmann was sentenced to 3 years in a general regime colony for public calls for terrorist activities online. The charges relate to sharing a post from the Legion 'Freedom of Russia' which contained a call to overthrow the government.

HEALTH CONCERNS INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

AGE UNKNOWN

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Activism

Daniil Sitnikov

Daniil Sitnikov, a resident of St. Petersburg, is facing charges for allegedly making a false bomb threat report against a police station. He was detained after a search but apparently released, and the case is one of several brought against anti-war activists in the city.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

on trial

RU-CMGO

23 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Protest

Ariadna Litvinova

Ariadna Litvinova is being charged with vandalism for spray-painting anti-war inscriptions on stands of a patriotic photo exhibition in St. Petersburg. She was previously fined under an administrative article for discrediting the army.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Social media

Arthur Kanin

Arthur Kanin was sentenced to four years in prison for calls to extremism and terrorism. The charges stemmed from comments he made in a Telegram chat room of the "Russian Volunteer Corps," including a negative statement about Russians and a call to set fire to military recruitment centers.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

36 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Activism

Lelya Nordic

Lelya Nordic, an artist, is accused of making a false bombing report to the police. Dozens of houses belonging to local activists were searched in connection to the incident.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

on trial

RU-CMI8

41 YRS

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Valeria Kovalishina

Valeria Kovalishina is facing charges for allegedly making a false report of a terrorist threat in Saint Petersburg. Details of the case are currently unknown.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Kuzmichev Andrey Vladimirovich

Andrey Kuzmichev from Saint Petersburg was sentenced to 3 years in a general regime colony for collaborating with a foreign state or organization. He fully admitted guilt and repented. He appealed the verdict, but it was upheld.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 20, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

AGE UNKNOWN

Saint Petersburg, Saint Petersburg

Activism

Maria Malysheva

Maria Malysheva is accused of making a false bomb threat to a police department. Searches were conducted at the homes of local civil activists in connection with the case, but no verdict has been reached yet.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Evgeniy Britanishkiy

Evgeniy Britanishkiy was sentenced to 5.5 years in a general regime colony for 'justifying terrorism' based on a single-word comment. His father reported physical abuse by security forces during a search.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · NOV 5, 2026

Sergey Zaytsev

Former military major Sergey Zaytsev was sentenced to 14 years in a strict regime colony for high treason. He was accused of passing secret information about the Russian Ministry of Defense to Ukrainian intelligence via Signal.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 19, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMUU

AGE UNKNOWN

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Social media

Oleg Kuvaev

Artist Oleg Kuvaev was sentenced in absentia to over four years in a colony. The charges involve failing to fulfill 'foreign agent' obligations and an episode in his cartoon 'Masanya' that allegedly calls for soldiers to surrender.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 7, 2026

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Protest

Sofia Arkhipova

Election observer Sofia Arkhipova was detained by police and later forcibly removed from her polling station by commission members. She suffered physical injuries and had her documents and phone seized.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · OCT 7, 2026

Detained

RU-CMU9

AGE UNKNOWN

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Ilya Vedernikov

The Vyborgsky District Court in Saint Petersburg removed Ilya Vedernikov, a member of the election commission from the 'Yabloko' party, from his position. The court cited obstruction of commission work, including filming and refusing to provide data during vote counting.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 17, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMU9

AGE UNKNOWN

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Daniil Voronin

The Krasnoselsky District Court of Saint Petersburg removed Daniil Voronin from his position on the election commission. He was accused of violating procedures and failing to report missing signatures on voter lists.

LAST UPDATED · OCT 17, 2026

Convicted

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