A criminal case has been opened against a man from Chita, already sentenced to 15 years in prison, over a conversation with his cellmates.

A new criminal case has been opened against Maksim Ivannikov, a resident of Chita in eastern Siberia, who was sentenced to 15 years in a high-security penal colony over the “Artpodgotovka” case, due to an alleged conversation with a cellmate about an escape attempt. This was reported by the Telegram channel “Lyudi Baykala” (People of Baikal) citing the man’s wife.

According to preliminary information, the investigation accuses Ivannikov of “attempted escape and taking of hostages” while in the pre-trial detention centre. The specific criminal charges are not known.

The case was launched due to a conversation Ivannikov had in Chita Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 1 with a cellmate known as Shaban. “Lyudi Baykala” reports that the detainees had a joking dialogue about what would happen if Russia were captured and they could not be released. Two other prisoners overheard the conversation and reported it to the authorities, claiming Ivannikov and Shaban had allegedly been discussing an escape plan.

At present, investigative actions are ongoing against Ivannikov. He has not yet been officially charged.

In April 2025, Maksim Ivannikov was sentenced to 15 years in a high-security penal colony. He was convicted under articles relating to state treason (Art. 275 of the Criminal Code), public calls for extremism (Art. 280), participation in a terrorist organisation (Part 2, Art. 205.5), and assisting terrorism (Art. 205.1).

The hearings in this case were closed, and the specific charges are unknown. According to Ivannikov’s wife Diana, her husband was convicted over a sarcastic comment on a Telegram channel. The Chita resident wrote: “I suggest joining the partisans and undermining the regime from within.”

According to the investigation, the channel was run by members of the Artpodgotovka movement, which was labelled extremist back in 2017.

Law enforcement officers detained Ivannikov in February 2024. Police tortured the man from the moment he was taken from his home and put into a police vehicle up until he arrived at the FSB office.

“They attached more electrodes to my scrotum, and I screamed as never before in my life. I had never experienced such pain in all my 37 years. I was already ready to confess to anything, just for this nightmare to end,” the Chita resident recalled about the torture.

At the station, the man was beaten with hands, feet and elbows to the head, torso, back and chest. Sometimes officers strangled Ivannikov while he sat on his knees with his handcuffs fastened. For “wrong” answers, the Chita resident was electrocuted.

After the torture, Ivannikov was made to stand against the Russian tricolour flag and forced to recite a prepared text on camera—admitting guilt and “renouncing the partisan movement.”