In Kirov, Anton Dolgikh, a lawyer known for his criticism of the authorities and law enforcement, has been detained.

In Kirov, in the evening of 9 October, lawyer and blogger Anton Dolgikh was detained. His current whereabouts and the reasons for his detention remain unknown. This was reported by “Slovo Zashchite” citing lawyer Violetta Volkova.

A video published by Volkova shows the lawyer being forced to the ground, then put in a car and taken away. According to the lawyer, those detaining him wore no visible insignia and did not identify themselves. Neither his family nor his lawyer were told where Dolgikh was taken.

“What did Anton Dolgikh do that justified detaining him like this on a Friday evening? Will the appointed lawyer get in touch with me? That’s a rhetorical question. By law, they should. In reality, we’ll see,” wrote Volkova.

• Dolgikh is a lawyer and blogger from Kirov, a city on the River Vyatka east of Moscow. He is known for his videos from courtrooms, the police, and the prosecutor’s office, as well as for his conflicts with officials and law enforcement officers. Dolgikh has often criticised the local authorities and the legal system. His YouTube channel has around 1.5 million subscribers, and some videos have received tens of millions of views.
• The lawyer has long been active in politics. He led the Kirov branch of the opposition People’s Freedom Party (PARNAS), served on the Coordination Council of the opposition, and participated in regional elections. Dolgikh also attempted to run for governor of Kirov Region but was not allowed to stand in the election.
• In February 2025, Dolgikh was arrested in a bribery case. According to investigators, the lawyer gave 4,500 roubles (about US$50) to the head of a postal branch so that staff would leave letters addressed to him in a prearranged spot after hours. Dolgikh himself described this money as financial help to the postal employees. Even before the case was initiated, Dolgikh had made a confession, saying he feared being framed by the local authorities due to his prior conflicts with them. In February, he was charged with minor bribery (part 1, article 291.2 of the Russian Criminal Code). The court ultimately sentenced him to a year and a half in an open prison. Nine months spent in pre-trial detention were credited at the rate of one day counted as two, so Dolgikh was released from the courtroom.

18:27 Anton Dolgikh is now facing criminal charges for using violence against a representative of the authorities (part 1, article 318 of the Russian Criminal Code), reports “7×7,” citing his lawyer Violetta Volkova.

According to Volkova, Dolgikh is accused of allegedly hitting a Federal Penitentiary Service officer on the street on the evening of 17 September, supposedly causing the officer “pain and, apparently, offence.” The lawyer calls the charge false. Investigators are seeking his pre-trial detention, with the measure to be decided in the coming days.

12 October, 11:31 The court has ordered that Anton Dolgikh be remanded in pre-trial detention until 7 December, writes “7×7.” After being detained, the lawyer asked for an ambulance, but the doctor who arrived refused to diagnose his bruises. Dolgikh insisted on being taken to an accident and emergency clinic, where injuries and abrasions were diagnosed.

30 October, 15:33 While in the pre-trial detention centre, Dolgikh was placed under preventive supervision as someone considered prone to assaulting staff. This was reported by the “Slovo Zashchite” project, quoting a friend of Dolgikh’s with whom he has been corresponding.

According to this friend, officers at the detention centre have on several occasions suggested Dolgikh go to fight in the war in Ukraine and have kept raising the topic even after he refused. During cell inspections, he has also faced criticism over minor domestic details, for example, an unwashed water tank and a spider.

This report has been updated to include new information about the criminal case against Dolgikh.