Documented cases

10 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

Mikhail Nikitin

Mikhail Nikitin was sentenced to six years in prison for planning to set fire to a military recruitment center. The FSB claims he aimed to sow panic among the local population.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMGO

30 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Aleksey Pokazanyev

Aleksey Pokazanyev, a history teacher, was sentenced to three years in a settlement colony for publicly justifying terrorism. The charges stem from comments he made during a lesson about the explosion on the Crimean bridge and allegedly justifying an attempt on Putin's life.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Andrey Voloshin

A 42-year-old taxi driver was arrested for high treason, potentially linked to a photo taken at a military-industrial plant. He was subjected to severe physical abuse, including electric shocks and choking, during his arrest.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · NOV 7, 2026

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Andrey Voloshin

A taxi driver was sent to pre-trial detention on high treason charges, allegedly related to a photo taken while working at a military plant. He reportedly suffered physical torture during his arrest.

TORTURE REPORTED

LAST UPDATED · OCT 27, 2026

Detained

RU-CMOV

37 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Activism

Oleg Novoselov

Historian Oleg Novoselov has been arrested in Yekaterinburg on charges of assisting terrorist activities. He is known for researching Stalinist repressions in the Ural region and previously worked as a volunteer for Memorial.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Detained

RU-CMTB

59 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Aleksandr Neustroev

Aleksandr Neustroev was sentenced to 4.5 years in a strict regime colony for justifying terrorism after expressing approval for the killings of two Russian propagandists. This follows a previous conviction for insulting a schoolboy wearing a 'Z' hat.

HEALTH CONCERNS

LAST UPDATED · NOV 6, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMT8

39 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Valeriya Marchenko

Valeriya Marchenko was sentenced to 20 years in a penal colony for high treason, training for terrorist activities, and preparing a terrorist attack. The case involved an undercover operation where she was lured by a handler into attempting to procure military documents and prepare Molotov cocktails.

LAST UPDATED · NOV 1, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

46 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Protest

Egor Lediakin

Egor Lediakin, a street artist, was detained for putting up anti-war stickers and graffiti insulting Putin. He was subjected to psychiatric evaluations and ultimately sentenced to six months of restricted freedom.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Convicted

RU-CMI8

51 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Social media

Mikhail Klimarev

Mikhail Klimarev, head of the Society for the Defence of the Internet, is being prosecuted for calls for extremist activity due to a comment urging Ukrainian servicemen not to take Rosgvardia officers prisoner. He was also designated a "foreign agent".

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

on trial

RU-CMI8

29 YRS

Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Oblast

Protest

Unknown male 8

An unnamed male official is accused of attacking a police officer during the dispersal of a protest. He is an employee of the Department of State Housing and Construction Supervision of the Sverdlovsk Region.

LAST UPDATED · AUG 16, 2026

Detained

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