A resident of Tyumen has been sentenced to 8 years for giving ‘stars’ on Telegram amounting to less than 300 rubles (US$3).

The Central District Military Court has sentenced 57-year-old Tyumen resident Mikhail Antonovich to eight years in a high-security penal colony on charges of financing terrorism (Part 1.1 Article 205.1 of the Russian Criminal Code), reports Mediazona. The grounds for the case were paid Telegram reactions—Telegram Stars—which Antonovich left on posts in the channels of Michael Naki, Alexander Nevzorov, Alexander Shpak, and Ukrainian military analyst Taras Berezovets. In total, he sent 130 ‘Stars’ amounting to 292 rubles 99 kopecks (US$3). The case was heard behind closed doors. Eight years’ imprisonment is the minimum sentence prescribed under this article.

As reports the project ‘Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial,’ Antonovich placed paid reactions, including under posts about news events. For instance, he left 30 ‘stars’ worth about 55 rubles (US$0.60) under a post by Taras Berezovets’s channel about an attack on a Russian ammunition and fuel storage facility at the Kinburn Spit.

Antonovich also sent ‘stars’ under posts discussing ways to make Telegram Stars less visible to other users. Specifically, 22 ‘stars’ worth around 42 rubles (US$0.45) were sent under a post by Michael Naki giving advice on safer use of paid reactions.

The security forces decided that these Telegram channels support organisations recognised as terrorist in Russia and raise money for arms and attacks on Russian territory. Investigators therefore treated Antonovich’s paid reactions as financing terrorism.

Additionally, in November 2025 Antonovich wrote to Michael Naki about mobile internet outages in Tyumen, a major city in Siberia. Although local media regularly reported connectivity shutdowns in the city, the prosecution claimed this information could have been used ‘to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation.’

‘Memorial’ asked Pavel Durov to make paid reactions in Telegram anonymous by default. Human rights advocates drew attention to the fact that Russian security forces are using sender data from ‘Stars’ for criminal persecution under articles relating to financing terrorism. ‘Memorial’ cited Antonovich’s case as an example.

OVD-Info has explained how Telegram Stars work and how to protect yourself when sending them.