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16.10.2026
On 16 October, Russia’s Ministry of Justice added the singer Naoko (Diana Loginova) and the musician Alexander Orlov from the group Stoptime to the list of “foreign agents.” According to the ministry, they are accused of speaking out against the special military operation, spreading false information, and interacting with other “foreign agents.” Both are living outside Russia.
A draft procedure has been prepared in St Petersburg for the establishment of Hyde Parks—designated areas for collective discussions and mass events. The document provides for the installation at these sites of a podium, toilets, metal detectors, a video surveillance system, and other security measures, with the Centre for Material and Technical Support being appointed as the responsible authority.
On 25 September, the Supreme Court of Chuvashia partially upheld a lawsuit filed by Alexander Andreev, a State Council deputy from the Communist Party (KPRF), and overturned the ban on holding rallies near shopping centres, markets and residential buildings. The court found these provisions of the republic’s law to be inconsistent with the federal law on rallies.
In Vladimir, Judge Ekaterina Medvedeva fined the editor-in-chief of the media outlet Chesnok, Ivan Rostovtsev, 30,000 roubles (approximately US$330) for a social media post about a drone crash. According to the police and the court, Rostovtsev allegedly knew about the consequences and intended for them to occur, as he posted a photo from the scene of the incident.
RusNews journalist Maria Ponomarenko has reported that she remains in a cell-type facility (PKT) and hopes to be moved to a unit on 22 October. She spoke about the pressure of the detention conditions, her meditation practices and experiencing hallucinations.
The 2nd Western District Military Court has sentenced 59-year-old Sergei Evstigneyev from Domodedovo, a town near Moscow, to eight and a half years in prison over donations to the “Artpodgotovka” movement. Evstigneyev was found guilty of financing terrorism (part 1.1 of article 205.1 of the Criminal Code). He will spend two years in prison and the remainder in a high-security penal colony; authorities also confiscated 11,531 rubles (about US$125), his mobile phone, and his computer tower.
Alexandr Kynev, who is accused of attempted drug dealing, has been transferred to Moscow’s Detention Centre No. 4, known as “Medved.” According to him, he is still wearing a cast, cannot walk without crutches, and is currently under quarantine.
On 15 October, Judge Alexey Semerikov sentenced 55-year-old Vitaly Syrykh from Kemerovo Region, a major area in Siberia, to six years in a penal colony. According to the investigation, the reason was the weekly religious services he held at home via video link during the pandemic.
The Kuibyshevsky District Court of Omsk has arrested in absentia the founder of the Telegram channels StopWarCrime and Putin’s GULAG, Dmitry Velikiy, on charges of participating in a terrorist organisation and inciting terrorism online. Investigators allege that Velikiy is a member of the Freedom of Russia Legion and claim he published calls for terrorist activities from November 2024 to August 2025.
In Krasnodar Krai, the court fined Hussein M., a farmer from Chechnya, 10,000 roubles (approx. US$110) under legislation regarding freedom of conscience and religion, because of a prayer he held at home on 31 July. He was also ordered to submit a notification on the establishment of a religious group.
The Central District Court of Novokuznetsk, a city in southwestern Siberia, fined activist and elderly man Gennady Kupavtsev 20,000 roubles (approximately US$240) on 22 and 24 September 2026 under Article 20.3.1 of the Administrative Offences Code for posts on VKontakte. According to the police, his posts contained negative assessments of a group of people based on their affiliation with the authorities.
On 24 August 2026, the Novomoskovsky District Court fined Alexey Mikhailushkin 20,000 roubles (approximately US$220) for a 16-year-old comment under a video featuring Valery Kipelov, ruling that it insulted the residents of Belgorod (under Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). Earlier, on 20 August, Mikhailushkin was also fined 30,000 roubles (approximately US$330) for comments on Telegram under articles on “discrediting the army” and “public display of prohibited symbols.”
16-year-old Andrey Ya. from Mikhaylov in the Ryazan region has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of preparing a terrorist act. According to investigators, he was planning to set fire to the Al-Sahaba mosque on Pionerskaya Street.
In the Novosibirsk district, a court fined the organiser of an Islamic religious school five thousand roubles (US$55) for unlawful missionary activity (Part 4, Article 5.26 of the Code of Administrative Offences). According to the court, the madrassa they established did not have a licence for educational activities and was not part of a registered religious organisation.
On 5 October, the Leninsky District Court of Izhevsk sentenced a 50-year-old local resident to a fine of 500,000 rubles (approximately US$5,500) under the article on financing extremist activity (part 1, article 282.3 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, the criminal case was prompted by donations made to the Anti-Corruption Foundation in 2021–2022 after the organisation was banned.
On 14 October, the Mozhga District Court sentenced a 36-year-old resident of Mozhga, a town in the Udmurt Republic, to a fine of 400,000 roubles (about US$4,400) on charges of financing extremism (Part 1, Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, the case was triggered by a donation of one thousand roubles (about US$11) to the Anti-Corruption Foundation after the organisation had been banned.
On 13 October, the Leninsky District Court of Kursk fined 38-year-old Yuliya Zholob 400,000 roubles (approximately US$4,000) under the charge of financing extremist activity (Part 1, Article 282.3 of the Criminal Code). According to investigators, in 2022 she made two donations to the banned Anti-Corruption Foundation.
The Moscow City Court upheld the decision to fine radio host Dmitry Potapenko 10,000 roubles (US$110) for participating in the activities of the foreign organisation “Radio Echo.” According to the court, Potapenko took part in the work of an organisation that has been designated as undesirable.
On 23 September, Magistrates’ Court No. 5 in Kemerovo—a major industrial city in Siberia—fined activist Maksim Uchvatov 50,000 rubles (approx. US$550) under the article on abuse of mass media freedom (part 9, article 13.15 of the Administrative Offences Code) over a June 2022 report about torture in a pre-trial detention centre. Following this, Uchvatov deleted the “Open City” Telegram channel.
Andrey Ostrovsky, former editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta in Vladivostok, said that there had been no searches or detentions—instead, he was simply summoned for a conversation. Earlier, the Telegram channel T.O.R. reported his detention and a search, but later deleted the message.