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

11.07.2025

10:30

The Tushinsky District Court in Moscow fined elderly military veteran Eduard Goida 30,000 roubles (approx. US$325) under the article on “discrediting” the Russian army (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). This was reported by “Ostorozhno, novosti” (“Careful, news”).

Earlier, it had been reported that a protocol had been drawn up against Goida over some “conversation in the street.” It has now become known that the reason for the fine was a conflict with his neighbour, Sorokina. The woman was creating graffiti depicting soldiers and the words “Salute to you, soldier of Russia.” Goida called Russian army soldiers “criminals and occupiers” and also said he would spoil the graffiti if it included the St George’s Ribbon or the letter “Z.” Sorokina reported her neighbour to the authorities.

In court, Goida said that he had served in the army for many years and respects the St George’s Ribbon, and he also provided a certificate confirming his disability.

09.07.2025

16:46

Pskov Oblast

A resident of Pskov Region has been fined 30,000 roubles (approx. US$330) for expressing opposition to the war in a forest plantation near a military firing range and unfurling the flag of a foreign state. This was reported by the press service of the Pskov Region courts.

“He responded inappropriately to remarks from military servicemembers about the inadmissibility of such public statements, using obscene language,” the press service noted.

The decision in the case of “discrediting the army” (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code) was handed down by Pskov District Court in Pskov Region, a city near Russia’s north-western border. The press release refers to the citizen held accountable as ‘D.’ On the court’s website there is a record for the case of Alexey Danilov, which is scheduled for hearing on 9 July.

13:29

Activist Zulfiya Sitdikova from Kazan, a major city in Tatarstan, has been fined 80,000 rubles (about US$900) under the offence of “discrediting the army with calls for unsanctioned rallies” (Part 2, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences), reports ASTRA.

The report against her was drawn up over a street photo. According to the court, Sitdikova took a photograph in the street in Kazan of a person holding a placard reading: “There’s no way, it’s time to turn back,” and then published the photo in an anonymous Telegram channel. The court considered this discrediting the army.

In May 2024, Sitdikova was given a two-year suspended sentence with a four-year probation period, for repeat discreditation of the armed forces (Part 1, Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code) and “rehabilitation of Nazism” (Part 3, Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code) due to placards reading “No to war” and “9 waya.”

The activist was detained at the end of May 2023, but was released from the police station without charges; she had not held a picket. On 18 July, it became known that following this detention, a criminal case was initiated against Sitdikova for “discrediting the armed forces,” her home was searched, and she was released afterwards. The case also includes a second episode: a placard reading “No to war,” left at the Eternal Flame in Kazan’s Victory Park.

08.07.2025

21:02

Volgograd Oblast

N. Strometsky, a resident of Kotelnikovo in Volgograd region, was sentenced to seven days of administrative arrest for shouting “Glory to Ukraine” and “Ukraine will win” in the street. This was reported by the Dozor v Volgograde channel.

Protocol reports were drawn up against Strometsky for promoting banned symbols (Art. 20.3 of the Administrative Code) and “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces (Art. 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). In court, the Kotelnikovo resident admitted guilt and expressed remorse. The judge found no mitigating circumstances in the case.

17:20

Moscow

A report on the “discrediting of the army” (Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) has been drawn up against Alexander Shikolai, frontman of the deathcore band Slaughter to Prevail. The case file at the Nagatinsky District Court in Moscow was discovered by Mediazona.

The grounds for the report are currently unknown. There are anti-war posts on the band’s social media pages. For instance, on 26 February 2022 the band’s Facebook page published a statement: “No to war! Our band has nothing to do with politics, we do not take sides. We support all peaceful people in this world and peace worldwide. We do not accept ANY kind of military action.”

On Instagram, Shikolai also spoke out against the war: “This is an official statement from the whole band. We are against war. We are against any war. It is very painful to watch what is happening in Ukraine now. We have been to Ukraine many times. Please don’t judge all Russians. We wish peaceful skies to Ukraine!”

In an interview with Yuri Dud, Shikolai also said that his band stands “against any military conflicts, wherever they happen and whoever is involved,” and added that he would not continue the subject as he “might say too much.”

19:52 The Nagatinsky District Court in Moscow has fined Alexander Shikolai 50,000 roubles (approximately US$550) over the case of “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces. This was reported via the Moscow courts’ official channel.

The reason for the fine was not explained by the court press service.

07.07.2025

22:05

Temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol

A 38-year-old resident of Sevastopol has been fined 69,000 rubles (US$765) over comments in Telegram chats. This was reported on the Ministry of Internal Affairs website.

According to law enforcement, the woman had previously “lived in Kyiv for a long time” and returned to her hometown in 2017 “to obtain a Russian Federation passport for inheritance purposes.”

Officials allege the Sevastopol local repeatedly posted in “pro-Ukrainian themed” chats, sharing her “positive emotions regarding air raid sirens in the city [Sevastopol], openly expressing her joy.” They also claim she changed her nickname each month to “avoid detection.”

Some of her comments included: “Here in Crimea, there are more and more who hate you <…>,” “Go off to the front, you couch worm,” “I belong to no one, I support Ukraine. You’re filling people’s heads with the idea that everything must be given up: give your house to the Buryats, pimp out your mum <…>, but at least you’re all <…> and lick the ‘liberators.’ Maybe they’ll toss you a bone.”

The woman was detained on the street by OMON police. She has been charged with inciting hatred (part 1 of article 20.3.1 of the Administrative Code) and twice with “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces (part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code).

Law enforcement have also sent case materials to the Investigative Committee under a criminal article on spreading “fakes” (para. “d” part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). The woman faces up to ten years in prison.

06.07.2025

19:02

On 30 June, the Central District Court of Simferopol fined local resident Dmitry Stotsky 50,000 roubles (approximately US$570) for holding a solo protest with a placard reading “No to war.” Stotsky himself told OVD-Info about the case.

The young man was found guilty under the article on “discrediting” the Russian army (Article 20.3.3, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences).

According to the police report, on 29 June Stotsky “publicly displayed a paper placard with the inscription ‘no to war’ and red-coloured imprints in the area of the Berg shopping centre, thus carrying out public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation….”

The following day, Stotsky was detained in the street and taken to Police Station No. 2 for Simferopol. During his detention, his phone was confiscated. He was also given a “preventive talk.” That same day, Stotsky was taken to court for a hearing in his administrative case.

05.07.2025

16:32

Sverdlovsk Oblast

The Yeltsin Centre has cancelled the dramatic performance “At the Speed of a Play” following a post in the “UralLive” channel, which is connected to the propagandist Vladimir Solovyov. This was reported by It’s My City.

The performance was due to take place this evening and was intended to mark the end of the theatre season at the cultural venue. According to the idea of its creator, Maria Kontorovich, head of the Yeltsin Centre’s theatre platform, she would have created a play together with the audience in real time during the event.

A day before the performance, the “UralLive” channel posted criticism of Kontorovich. The author of the post accused her of supporting Ukraine due to a flag on her profile picture on Facebook and an anti-war letter published on her page.

“There’s also a strange video post on her page about our soldiers: ‘Perm, Yekaterinburg—take your people back from here—the prisoners, the dead, and those who have not yet landed in the meat grinder’—that’s the caption placed above a video about our prisoners. Why is this necessary?,” reads the “UralLive” post.

The channel also claimed that “an open supporter of Ukraine has no right to hold” the position of head of the Yeltsin Centre’s theatre platform.

On the evening of 4 July, the post announcing Kontorovich’s performance was deleted from the Yeltsin Centre’s Telegram channel. The venue’s press service confirmed to journalists that the event would not take place, but did not state the reasons for the cancellation.

In April, the Yeltsin Centre removed the play “I Killed the Tsar” by director Vladimir Mirzoev from its programme, and in February a planned event with poet German Lukomnikov was cancelled. According to “UralLive” and the “Russian Community,” these figures allegedly hold anti-Russian views.

In May, it became known that a lecture by philosophy populariser Dmitry Khaustov would not be held. And in mid-June, the centre removed a lecture by Nikolai Nakhsunov, a lecturer at Shaninka, from its schedule. This also followed a post in the “UralLive” channel.

04.07.2025

19:12

In Sochi, a woman originally from Azerbaijan has been fined for pro-Ukrainian slogans. This was reported by the outlet “Sochi Online.”

The amount of the fine is unknown. The court found the woman guilty under the article on promoting or displaying the symbols of an extremist organisation (Part 1, Article 20.3 of the Administrative Code).

As the Telegram channel Baza reported, a Sochi resident named Esmira was walking down the street and shouting certain pro-Ukrainian slogans. “The woman wanted to express her protest over the recent tension in Russian-Azerbaijani relations,” Baza wrote.

Two days later, Esmira was detained so that a protocol could be drawn up.

17:54

Primorsky Krai

On 2 July, the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok fined computer company manager Dmitry Bolychev 30,000 roubles (about US$325). OVD-Info found this information on the court’s website.

The court found Bolychev guilty of “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces (part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). The case was triggered by an anti-war comment he left in a Telegram channel belonging to the outlet NEWS.VL, under a post about the construction of a bridge to Yelena Island in Vladivostok (a port city in Russia’s Far East).

Bolychev wrote: “What I mean is that Russia is killing Ukrainians. On mainstream channels there are calls for the death of Ukrainians and for the destruction of cities. Ukraine is being denied subjectivity, and Ukrainian citizens—the right to self-determination. This is exactly what Nazis do.”

In court, the Vladivostok resident admitted his guilt and agreed with the protocol drawn up against him.

Сюжет

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