Key news on repression in Russia and against those who left: political prisoners, verdicts, new designations. Every item links to its source. Updated morning and evening.
updated 12 October 2026 · RSSMediazona reports that the Zavolzhsky District Court in Ulyanovsk convicted her of spreading military 'fakes' and breaching the 'foreign agent' law. The journalist has lived outside Russia for several years.
58-year-old Tatiana Begey wrote this in a letter, OVD-Info reports, citing FREE120. She has diabetes and serious kidney failure and is accused of illegal possession of weapons and passing on secret information.
The Verkhneuralsk District Court rejected Anton Galeta's claim and his demand for 20 thousand roubles in compensation, 7x7 reports. According to his support group, his relatives had come to visit him for the first time in four years, but the visit was banned.
Elena Matushevskaya is suspected of taking part in an 'extremist' organisation, Novaya Gazeta Europe reports, citing Govorit NeMoskva. She had come to Krasnoyarsk for work; a custody hearing is expected in Tomsk.
According to her lawyer Mikhail Biryukov, the case was due to go to court on 30 September. Moniava is accused of spreading 'fakes' about the army over a Telegram post, Meduza reports.
Zhuravlev is accused of taking part in the 'international satanism movement', designated 'extremist', Mediazona reports, citing the Prison Lawyer project. Last spring he was sentenced to three years in a colony.
Minsk City Court convicted Mikhail Filipenko of taking part in military action abroad (Part 2 of Article 361-3) and fined him 500 base units, Mediazona Belarus reports, citing the Viasna centre.
According to Turkmen.news and OCCRP, 613 people were on the wanted list at the end of 2022, 93 of them facing political charges, including 'terrorism'.
According to Viasna, cited by Mediazona Belarus, he was convicted under Articles 342, 130 and 203-1 of the Criminal Code. He had earlier received two years for insulting Lukashenko and was due for release in November 2026.
Pavel Pishchulin from Penza region served his full term and was released on 17 September from a penal colony in Kirovo-Chepetsk, he told Mediazona. He was detained in October 2022 after talking to undercover FSB officers.
The Kamchatka regional court sentenced Valery Dobrovolsky to 14 years in a strict-regime colony (Article 275), Mediazona reports, citing the court's press office. Memorial has recognised him as a political prisoner.
The Kirovsky district court found Yaroslav Sirotkin guilty of taking part in an 'extremist' organisation (Part 2 of Article 282.2) and of breaching the 'foreign agent' law, 7x7 reports, citing Pervy Otdel.
According to Mediazona, Anna Luginina is charged under Article 110.2 over memes in an abandoned VKontakte group she started before she came of age.
The prosecutors general of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to share information on organisations and individuals, Meduza reports, citing RBC.
The Basmanny court arrested Dud in absentia under Part 2 of Article 205.2, the Moscow courts' press service said. The Investigative Committee claims the case stems from his interview with RDK founder Denis Kapustin.
According to Mediazona, the Nevsky district court gave Yegor Gulyaev six years in a war 'fakes' case (Part 2(d) of Article 207.3) over VKontakte reposts; prosecutors had sought 12 years.
The Maikop city court remanded a blogger in custody until 23 November; he is charged with taking part in a terrorist organisation (Part 2 of Article 205.5) for sending a form on Telegram, the court's website says.
According to Azattyq, the Leninsky district court found Askarbekov guilty of inciting hatred over Facebook posts; the case was run by the GKNB. The activist rejected the charges.
The Grodno regional court sentenced Sergei Kazinsky to eight years (Article 356) back in 2023, the Viasna human rights centre reports; he left the police after the events of 2020.
According to lawyer Erik Iriskulbekov, quoted by Azattyq, the case of inciting hatred was investigated by the GKNB; on 29 September Askarbekov is to give his final statement, after which a verdict is expected.
According to Vlast, the appeal was signed by 155 people, among them members of OVD-Info and First Department. They ask for a diplomatic corridor to a safe third country.
According to JAMnews, on 28 September at the Baku Serious Crimes Court the founder of Arqument.az called the case fabricated and linked his arrest to his journalism.
According to Mediazona, prosecutors at St Petersburg's Nevsky District Court asked for 12 years in a general-regime colony for Gulyaev (Article 207.3, part 2, point ‘d’). He has been in custody throughout the investigation and trial.
According to Azattyq Asia, Iuliia Emelianova and Mansur Movlaev have been held in a remand prison in Almaty for over a year after being detained at Moscow's request. Kazakhstan earlier refused Movlaev asylum.
According to Nasha Niva, cited by Mediazona Belarus, Minsk's Pershamaiski District Court convicted Oksana Marinina under Articles 368 and 342 of the Criminal Code and sentenced her to restricted freedom at home; the exact term is unknown.
According to the Slovo Zashchite project, Kynev was diagnosed with two tibia fractures, allegedly the result of torture. His lawyer could neither confirm nor deny the reports of violence.
Maksimova heads the Russian Democratic Society in the UK. The FSB claims she raised money through the movement "in the interests of the Kyiv regime". She was put on the wanted list on 16 September.
According to Viasna, the Minsk City Court handed down the sentence on 14 September. The charges include conspiracy to seize power and membership of a terrorist organisation.
Nalimova says investigators claim that with a voice message leaked to a pro-government Telegram channel she sought to undermine the authority of the regional parliament. She says the case contains no evidence of harm.
According to Reform.news, 25 political prisoners were freed on 16 September and all were forcibly taken to Lithuania. Nine applied for international protection in Warsaw and one in Bialystok.
The editor-in-chief announced the closure. Earlier, three staff members of the Individuum and Popcorn Books publishers were given four-year suspended sentences in the "international LGBT movement" case.
According to Turkmen.news, Serdar Berdymukhamedov signed the pardon decree for the 35th anniversary of independence on 25 September. Those freed include no political prisoners and no Baluch.
According to Current Time, a mother and son left in 2022 and collected aid for Ukrainians in emigration; in Russia they face criminal prosecution. They were refused asylum and are suing the migration agency.
According to Mediazona, Kyshtym City Court has received reports against him for not filing a “foreign agent” report with the Justice Ministry (Art. 19.34(2) of the Administrative Code) and for involvement with an “undesirable” organisation (Art. 20.33).
According to Reform.news, citing the man himself, a phone check found subscriptions to two YouTube channels designated “extremist materials”. He spent three days in a temporary detention centre before a court fined him.
In a letter to her mother published by Novaya Gazeta, Berkovich says penal colony No. 3 in Kostroma region punished her for trying to bring three sweets to work and for not introducing herself in full to staff.