Almost 5,000 people in Russia were subjected to criminal prosecution…
Almost 5,000 people in Russia were subjected to criminal prosecution for politically motivated cases in 2025—up to...
Consensus
- Nearly 5,000 people were subjected to politically motivated criminal prosecution in Russia in 2025.
- The number of officially recognized political prisoners increased from 803 to 1,265 in 2025.
- More than 60% of the prosecuted individuals were targeted due to their involvement or statements related to the war in Ukraine.
- The main legal instruments used for prosecution include Article 205 (terrorism), Article 275 (treason), and Article 205.2 (justification of terrorism).
- There was a significant increase in cases under Article 282.3 (financing extremist activities), primarily linked to donations to the FBK and other organizations designated as extremist in Russia.
Points of divergence
- The actual scale of repression may be even higher, as many criminal cases become known only months later, suggesting that the number of politically motivated prosecutions in 2025 is likely to grow further. — tg_chertamedia
- After the start of full-scale war, the most frequently used articles for political persecution shifted from 'military fake' (2019) to terrorism, treason, and justification of terrorism. — tg_chertamedia
Coverage (2 sources)
- Nearly 5,000 people in Russia faced politically motivated criminal prosecution in 2025 — most important findings from the 'Memorial' report — Черта
- Nearly 5,000 people in Russia faced criminal prosecution for politically motivated cases in 2025 — according to... — Говорит НеМосква