Kalmyk activist charged over article on deportation
Boris Todoev, a Kalmyk politician and human rights activist, was charged with rehabilitating Nazism over an article about the deportation of Kalmyks, leading to his arrest and house arrest. The article, published in December 2025, described the suffering of a 90-year-old woman and compared Soviet forces to Nazis.
Consensus
- Boris Todoev was charged with rehabilitating Nazism under Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.
- The charge stems from an article titled 'Короткими очередями' published in the newspaper 'Нарн' on December 26, 2025.
- The article discussed the opening of a memorial in Malye Derbety to victims of political repression and the genocide of the Kalmyk people.
- The article included personal testimony from a 90-year-old woman who was deported as a child.
- The article's concluding sentence compared Soviet soldiers to Nazis, stating that 'other Nazis, in the form of Soviet soldiers, exiled his children and family to cold Siberia forever.'
- On September 1, 2026, the Investigative Committee issued a decision to open a criminal case against Todoev.
- On September 2, 2026, a search was conducted at Todoev's apartment, and his equipment was seized.
- On September 3, 2026, Todoev was placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor.
- The article remains accessible on the website of the newspaper 'Нарн'.
- Todoev is a known political figure, human rights defender, and former organizer of the Kalmyk People's Front.
Points of divergence
- The article was published on December 26 not December 26, 2025. — mediazona
- Three protocols for abuse of freedom of mass media were issued against Todoev in May and July 2026 by the Maloderbetyevsky District Court, related to links to foreign agent media. — mediazona
- The case was opened under parts 3 and 4 of Article 354.1, which include public and group offenses. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- Todoev was fined 4,000 rubles for each of three separate media abuse cases in May and July 2026. — mediazona
Coverage (2 sources)
- Center "Sova", Sotavision: In Kalmykia, a case on Nazi rehabilitation was filed against politician Boris Todayev over an article on the deportation of Kalmyks — Медиазона
- In Elst, a criminal case was filed against politician Boris Todayev. He is accused of 'rehabilitating Nazism' due to an article about d... — SOTAvision
Key entities
- Boris Todayev
- Elishte
- Kalmykia
- Sotavision
- Front of the People
- Sova Center
- League of Mongolian Peoples
- Kirsan Ilumzhinov