The case of Kirill Ukraintsev

Kirill Ukrainstev is the head of the Couriers’ Trade Union, established in 2020. On 25 April 2022, a case was opened against the activist under the “Dadin article” for repeated violations of the rules on holding public events (Article 212.1 of the Russian Criminal Code) due to posts about protests on social media.

In February 2023, the activist was found guilty and sentenced to one year and four months in an “open regime” penal colony, after which he was released in the courtroom, since he had already served his term in pre-trial detention.

Before the criminal case was initiated, Ukrainstev had repeatedly faced charges under the protest-related Article 20.2 of the Administrative Offences Code. In February 2021, he was arrested for five days over a detention at the court for a case involving a broken window at United Russia’s office. In March, he was fined for taking part in a trade union march, and in September, he was arrested for a further ten days over a publication the activist had made a year earlier. The presence of three court decisions on these administrative cases within a year made it possible to initiate a criminal case against him.

On the day Ukrainstev was detained on criminal charges, couriers were holding a protest outside the Delivery Club office: about thirty people came out to demonstrate against a reduction in pay per order. More than ten people were detained. This protest is not mentioned in the case against the trade union leader.

In June 2022, the ‘Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial’ project recognised Kirill Ukrainstev as a political prisoner.