Ilya Yashin

Ilya Yashin is an opposition politician, deputy of the Krasnoselsky municipal district of Moscow, and former head of this district.

In May 2022, several administrative protocols were drawn up against Yashin for discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces in defending the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens. Under this article, he was fined a total of 90,000 roubles (≈US$1265 as of May 2022).

On 27 June 2022, Yashin was detained while walking in a park. The next day, he was arrested for 15 days under the administrative article on disobeying the lawful demands of police officers (Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). On 12 July, as Yashin’s administrative arrest was coming to an end, it became known that a criminal case had been opened against him for knowingly spreading false information about the Russian Armed Forces. On 13 July, the court placed him in custody. On 22 July, the Ministry of Justice added Yashin to the register of so-called “foreign agents”. His bank accounts were frozen. On 9 December, he was sentenced to eight and a half years in a general-regime penal colony.

On 1 December 2023, shortly after arriving at the colony, Yashin was sent to a punishment cell (SHIZO) for refusing assignment to a construction brigade building barracks. After his term in the punishment cell ended, he was transferred to a barrack with strict detention conditions. On 4 March 2024, it became known that Yashin had been registered as “prone to studying and spreading extremism”. On 3 April 2024, he was again placed in a punishment cell for taking off the upper part of his prison uniform (jacket) at breakfast. On 17 May 2024, he was again sent to a punishment cell for 15 days — three days before a scheduled visit with his parents. On 1 June 2024, he was sent to a punishment cell for another 12 days, even before the previous term had ended. This time, the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) considered it a “violation” that, after leaving the shower room, Yashin removed his uniform for a few minutes to change his T-shirt.

On 1 August 2024, Yashin was released as part of a prisoner exchange between Russia and other states and taken to Germany. On 25 December 2024, he was declared wanted in a criminal case for evading his duties as a “foreign agent”. On 17 January 2025, his parents’ home was searched. In August 2025, State Duma deputy Vasily Piskaryov announced that a case had been opened against the organisers of the opposition march in Berlin on 1 March 2025 (including Kara-Murza) for participation in the activities of extremist and terrorist organisations, organising the activities of an extremist community, and making public calls for extremism. On 13 October 2025, Yashin was added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of extremists and terrorists, without the marking used for those prosecuted under terrorist articles, which may indicate that participation in a terrorist organisation is not imputed to him. On 15 October, Yashin was arrested in absentia under the article on participation in the activities of an extremist organisation.