Detentions, trials and pressure over anti-war statements and criticism of the war in Ukraine: Human rights news, court updates & analysis | 152 related articles

26.08.2025

15:15

A case for “discrediting the army” (under Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code) has been opened against Vyacheslav Shmyrov, film expert and head of the film club at the Yeltsin Centre. Today, the case was submitted to the Verkh-Isetsky District Court in Yekaterinburg, a major city in the Urals.

According to the court’s website, the hearing in this case is scheduled for 14:10 on 3 September.

The reason for the case remains unknown. “We hope that the court will be fair and will not side with the accusation outlined in the case file,” the Yeltsin Centre’s press office told Vecherneye Vedomosti.

Last week, both the film expert and the Yeltsin Centre were targeted by the “UralLive” Telegram channel, which is linked to propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, for film screenings involving Shmyrov on 22 and 23 August.

First, “UralLive” posted screenshots of anti-war posts by the film expert. The channel then described the invitation of Shmyrov as a breach of agreements on the part of the Yeltsin Centre—earlier, TASS reported that the organisation had promised local authorities not to invite people who had publicly condemned the war in Ukraine.

After these posts, informers from the pro-government “Zov naroda” movement demanded that the Investigative Committee launch an inquiry into Shmyrov.

On the evening of 22 August, the same Telegram channel reported that law enforcement officers came to the Yeltsin Centre during an event involving the film expert and served him a police summons to prepare the case protocol.

20.08.2025

17:26

Sverdlovsk Oblast

The deputy director of the Yeltsin Centre, Lyudmila Telen, has been fined 45,000 roubles (approx. US$500) for reposting a message with the words “No to war,” which was published by Boris Yeltsin’s daughter, Tatyana Yumasheva, on Facebook on 25 February 2022. This was reported by “Vecherniye Vedomosti.”

Telen was charged under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The hearing at the Verkh-Isetsky District Court in Yekaterinburg, a major city in the Urals, was due to take place on 26 August, but was postponed to today. The deputy director of the Yeltsin Centre herself was not present at the hearing.

As lawyer Mikhail Biryukov, representing Telen’s interests, told OVD-Info, the date was changed because “otherwise the statute of limitations would have expired.”

“From the moment the offence is registered, [the case] can be considered within 90 days. Today is the 92nd day,” Biryukov explained.

In court, he also requested the case be moved to Moscow, where the deputy director of the Yeltsin Centre lives. Moreover, Telen had shared Yumasheva’s post while in Moscow. In the lawyer’s view, the case should be heard at the place where the alleged offence occurred—that is, in the capital. The court rejected these motions.

When the OVD-Info journalist remarked that, in that case, the protocol could have been drawn up against Telen in any other Russian region, and the case heard there as well, Biryukov replied:

“Since the Yeltsin Centre is located in Yekaterinburg and this [case against Telen] is part of the attack on it, [it] is being considered here.”

The lawyer added:

“It is unlikely [this attack] will lead to the [closure of the Yeltsin Centre], since it was established by presidential decree, but it could lead to a change in policy direction. The purpose of this pressure is unclear to us.”

12.08.2025

16:53

Kabardino-Balkarian Republic

Shakarbay Pashshaliev, a deaf resident of Kabardino-Balkaria, was fined 15,000 roubles (approximately US$170) for a video containing “negative comments about the actions of Russian Army servicemembers.” The Prokhladnensky District Court of Kabardino-Balkaria issued the decision on 24 July regarding the charge of discrediting the army (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The Telegram channel “Mozhem Obyasnit” highlighted the case.

Pashshaliev was accused over a video on WhatsApp. He stated that someone had sent him the video and he used it as his status, as he “did not believe that this video could discredit the Russian Armed Forces,” and personally supports the “special military operation.”

Pashshaliev has category three hearing disability and has been deaf since childhood. The court concluded that he posted the video intentionally. However, his disability was taken into account, resulting in a fine below the minimum amount.

16:30

On 11 August, the Slavyansky District Court of Krasnodar Krai fined Anton Petrenko, a 39-year-old resident of the village of Baranikovsky, one thousand roubles (approx. US$11) for petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). This was reported by “7×7” citing the press service of the regional courts.

The day before, Petrenko was detained by FSB officers and a local police officer. Law enforcement’s attention was drawn because, while celebrating his birthday, he sang along to a Ukrainian-language song about how Ukrainians are “an unconquered people” who will never forgive and will never surrender to the “accursed Moskals.”

The local Telegram channel “ChP Krasnodar” published a video from the 10 August celebration. The same post included a video of Petrenko apologising while holding an icon. Another apology video was published by the press service of the Krasnodar Krai Ministry of Internal Affairs.

“We were celebrating a birthday, just singing along with whatever songs were playing on the speaker. We didn’t plan anything unusual, we didn’t mean to offend anyone. On the contrary, we support Russia, everyone there has brothers, relatives, all serving,” Petrenko said in the police video.

Additionally, the Ministry of Internal Affairs claims that Petrenko is being investigated under the administrative article on “discrediting” the army (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). According to “7×7,” no protocol on this article has yet been submitted to the Slavyansky District Court.

06.08.2025

14:00

Ivanovo Oblast

The Shuya City Court in Ivanovo region has dropped the case against local activist and candidate of historical sciences Vladimir Vozilov, who had previously been charged with ‘discrediting the army’ (part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). His lawyer, Oskar Cherdzhiev, shared the news on Telegram stories.

The judge closed the case due to the expiry of the statute of limitations for prosecution.

Vozilov was accused of discrediting the army over his posts on VKontakte titled ‘Who fired? ’ and ‘Changed goals of the special military operation,’ as well as a comment under a post entitled ‘Delayed response.’ These posts and comments discussed either the war in Ukraine or related events in Ivanovo region.

05.08.2025

11:57

Altai Krai

The activist and poet from Barnaul, Artem Sakharov, has been fined 30,000 rubles (US$335) under the administrative article on “discrediting the army” (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code), he told OVD-Info.

The Oktyabrsky District Court in Barnaul—a major city in Siberia—considered the case back on 21 April. The reason was a post in Sakharov’s Telegram channel “My Cat is 13 Years Old,” published in January.

At the time, the activist shared a fragment from the “Conversations about Important Things” teaching materials, which stated that teachers should tell schoolchildren that participants in the war in Ukraine are “defenders of the Fatherland” who are “continuing the glorious and noble work of our ancestors—warriors who have always stood up to defend their homeland and its people.”

Commenting on this fragment, Sakharov called the current Russian army an occupying force. He wrote that the Russian military had brought a great deal of pain and destruction to Ukraine, and that “children are being indoctrinated with the idea that a Russian soldier is always a hero, no matter what. Whether they are defending their own country or going to seize someone else’s land—it doesn’t seem to matter anymore.”

The activist said that in February, police called him and invited him to the station to draw up the protocol. Recently, he was informed that the Federal Bailiffs Service had initiated enforcement proceedings to collect the fine.

In November 2024, Sakharov left Russia due to threats of criminal prosecution. Prior to that, he had been prosecuted three times under the article for violation of public assembly rules (Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code) because of his anti-war protests and for laying flowers at a monument to victims of political repression after the death of politician Alexei Navalny.

30.07.2025

18:50

On 8 July, the Noyabrsk City Court (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District/Okrug) fined local resident Aleksandr Farafonov 30,000 roubles (approx. US$330) over five posts on VKontakte under the protocol for “discrediting the army” (Art. 20.3.3, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The independent outlet Verstka drew attention to the court ruling.

One of the posts was published by Farafonov in July 2022. According to the ruling, the post contained an image with the caption “I love Putin,” “in which a commonly recognised symbol expressing emotion is disguised as the Ukrainian flag.”

Farafonov himself told Verstka that the post in question showed a photo of the “I love Putin” monument with a heart painted in the colours of the Russian flag. Media outlets had previously reported that, when illuminated, the heart would display the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

The protocol also cited other posts: about the death of Alexei Navalny, an image of a toilet “styled with AI to look like a portrait of Putin,” and a photograph of a soldier wearing a patch of the ‘Russian Volunteer Complex’ or “something like that.”

12:28

On 11 July, the Komsomolsky District Court in Tolyatti, a city on the Volga River, fined a local woman 30,000 roubles (approx. US$330) under the law on “discrediting the army” (part 1, article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The outlet Idel.Realii drew attention to the court decision.

The administrative offence report was filed over a comment to a news story titled “It’s very nice to receive words of thanks from our fighters,” which the elderly woman posted in mid-February. “People, what are you talking about, contract soldiers are not fighters, they’re hired killers, and you are accomplices,” she wrote.

An expert analysis concluded that the elderly woman had described the actions of Russian military personnel “as being linked to killing for money” and gave a negative assessment of them, calling them murderers.

The elderly woman admitted her guilt and expressed remorse. She added that she had posted the comment “without thinking, foolishly,” and promised not to do so again. She also deleted the comment.

The Tolyatti resident added that she receives a pension of 15,500 roubles (approx. US$170) and has no other income. She lives in a rented flat and does not work because there are no suitable jobs for her age near her home. Her son helps her financially.

28.07.2025

19:58

Temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea

The Bakhchisaray District Court in Crimea has fined the director of a nightclub 300,000 rubles (approximately US$3,250) over a Verka Serduchka song played at a disco, according to the court’s press office.

The director of the club “Atmosfera” was found guilty of discrediting the army (Part 1, Article 20.3.3, Administrative Code). He admitted guilt during the hearing.

The protocol was drawn up because, on the night of 26 May, a DJ at “Atmosfera” played Verka Serduchka’s song “Gulyanochka,” which includes the words “Ukraine has not yet perished”.

“The semantic content of these lyrics is aimed at discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation during the special military operation on the territory of Ukraine and at Russia’s policies as a whole,” the court press office said about the song, which was released in 2003.

A protocol for discrediting the army was also drawn up against the DJ, Pavel Korotky, who played the Serduchka song. His case has not yet been considered.

The DJ was detained after the disco video caught the attention of the author of the “Crimean SMERSH” Telegram channel, Alexander Talipov, who is known for reporting on Crimeans with opposition and anti-war views.

After his detention, the DJ was forced to apologise on camera. The club’s director said he personally contacted the police and filed a report on Korotky.

27.07.2025

09:48

Temporarily occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea

On the afternoon of 26 July, police detained DJ Pavel Korotky, who had played Verka Serduchka’s song “Gulyanka” at a nightclub disco. This was reported by the Telegram channel “Crimean SMERSH.”

In the early hours of 26 July, Verka Serduchka’s song was played at Club Atmosfera in the village of Peschanoye, Bakhchisaray District, in Crimea. After a comment was made, the DJ stopped the track. The video from the disco was noticed by the author of the Telegram channel “Crimean SMERSH,” serial informant Aleksandr Talipov, who then contacted the police.

The DJ was detained and taken to the police station, where a protocol was drawn up under the article on “discrediting the army” (Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). At the station, he was forced to record a video with an apology. According to Talipov, a similar protocol was also drawn up for the club director.

That same day, the nightclub’s Instagram account posted that the staff’s position was: “Crimea is Russia,” and that Korotky was a replacement DJ who “will not work as a DJ in Crimea any more.” The club director told the outlet “Ostorozhno, Novosti” that he personally went to the police and filed a complaint against the DJ.

The song “Gulyanka” was released in 2003. Its chorus includes: “Songs are flowing, wine is flowing / And the glasses clink, clink, clink in time / Ukraine has not yet perished, if we’re partying like this!”

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Detentions, trials and pressure over anti-war statements and criticism of the war in Ukraine