12 Russian schoolchildren start school year in detention
At least 12 Russian schoolchildren began the new academic year in detention on politically motivated charges, with a total of at least 34 minors facing such charges, according to monitoring groups. Many are denied access to full education due to restrictive prison policies.
Consensus
- At least 34 Russian minors are being prosecuted on politically motivated charges.
- At least 12 of these minors are currently in detention.
- The prosecution of minors on political grounds has increased in recent years.
- Some minors are being tried under articles related to 'terrorism' and 'extremism'.
- Schoolchildren in detention are entitled to education under Russian law.
- Education in prisons is provided by schools under the jurisdiction of the FSB (FSIN).
- The education provided in prisons must comply with the requirements of the penal system.
- Access to education for minors in detention is often restricted by prison authorities.
- Some minors in detention have not completed their school education and are trying to continue it behind bars.
Points of divergence
- More than 120 minors are being prosecuted in Russia on political grounds, with most of them deprived of liberty. — tg_currenttime
- There are no available figures on the number of political prisoners who reached 18 years old while still in prison without completing school. — tg_echoonline_news
- The youngest person on the list of 'terrorists' and 'extremists' in Russia is Ivan Mal'tsev from Barnaul, accused of arson against a police car, who was 14 in June 2026. — tg_currenttime
- Schools for education in prisons exist only in corrective labor colonies, not in pre-trial detention centers or adult facilities. — tg_echoonline_news
Coverage (2 sources)
- More than 120 minors are pursued in Russia for political motives, 'Memorial' calculates — Настоящее Время
- At least 12 Russian schoolchildren met September 1 in detention for political reasons — ЭХО / Новости