Kaliningrad Court Sentences Rights Lawyer Maria Bonzler to 12 Years
The Kaliningrad Regional Court sentenced human rights defender Maria Bonczler to 12 years in a prison colony, finding her guilty of treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code), reports the human rights media outlet 'Slovo Zashchite'.
Consensus
- Maria Bonzler was sentenced to 12 years in prison for treason (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code).
- The trial was held in closed session.
- The prosecution had requested a 15-year sentence.
- Bonzler was arrested in May 2025.
- She has severe health issues, including hypertensive heart disease and frequent blood pressure spikes.
- She was denied adequate medical care while in pre-trial detention.
- The case originally involved charges of confidential cooperation with a foreign state, later reclassified as treason.
- Bonzler stated she was being punished not for her actions but for knowing too much about state security crimes.
- She claimed all information in question was publicly available from court proceedings.
Points of divergence
- Bonzler stated that the court was trying to kill her, and that she was being punished for knowing about crimes committed by security services and having no fear of them or the court. — tg_horizontal_russia
- Bonzler lost consciousness in September due to torture during transport to court. — tg_horizontal_russia
- The prosecution alleged that Bonzler transmitted information to Ukraine's Security Service about ongoing investigations. — tg_horizontal_russia
- Bonzler said she was 'barely holding on' and that her health was extremely poor, with no planned medical examinations. — meduza
- Bonzler's defense reported she nearly died in custody due to drug incompatibility. — meduza
- All lawyers Bonzler hired herself were removed from the case due to their stance on accessing classified materials. — tg_sotavisionmedia
- Bonzler was removed from the courtroom by the judge, allowed only to speak during her final statement. — tg_sotavisionmedia
Coverage (3 sources)
- «I will pray for my executioners, that the Lord be merciful to them»: Advocate Maria Bonczler sentenced to 12 years in prison — SOTAvision
- Advocate Maria Bonczler sentenced to 12 years for treason case. 'I will pray for my executioners,' she said after the verdict — Meduza
- Kaliningrad court sentenced human rights defender Maria Bonczler to 12 years in prison — 7х7 — Горизонтальная Россия