By Darina Boykova
Besides illegal invasion and annexation of Ukraine, Russia has been cracking down on its own residents, fining, jailing, and persecuting people for opinions, expressions, and actions allowed under international law. This article is part of a monthly series of reports of human rights violations committed by the Russian state; it encapsulates actions relating to political prisoners, legal actions towards Ukrainian prisoners of war, LGTBQA+ crackdown, legal actions violating freedom of expression and more. The main source of information is MediaZona articles, translated to bring awareness of the injustices to English speakers. The Russians are continuing to stand up against the state and are punished for it.
For concerns, issues, and possible additions to the list, please email Darina.Boykova@rcda.ca.
Here is a recap of human rights violations that took place in Russia in July of 2025:
Russia on a Global Stage
Russia became the first state to recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Taliban, which has been violating international law, including but not limited to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, has been systematically committing human rights violations, raising concerns of international organizations: they replaced all judges with Taliban members who lack legal training; denied girls and women education, access to public services, and contributed to decline in media freedom in Afghanistan.
Political Prisoners
Message from Political Prisoners in Russia
Political prisoners in Russia – Alexei Gorinov, Daria Kozyreva, Boris Kagarlitsky, Azat Miftakhov, Artem Kamardin, Dmitry Pchelintsev, Anna Arkhipova, Vladimir Domnin, Andrei Trofimov, Ilia Shakursky, and Aleksandr Shestun – urged “all global leaders who are not indifferent to the suffering of people for their beliefs” to work to release all political prisoners in Russia in an open letter.
Fear for Political Persecution Extends Beyond the Border
Russian activist Alexandr Frolov, who was denied asylum in UK and was waiting for an appeal, committed suicide. A 26-year old arrived in London from Yekaterinburg in 2021 , escaping mobilization. Alexandr, during his time in UK, participated in anti-war protests and collaborated with the Russian Democratic Society.
Poor Treatment of Political Prisoners
Political prisoner Igor Yakynichev shared that staff of the detention centre withhold his medications and letters, keep him in isolation and threaten him with sexual violence after his complaints.
Alexei Gorinov, who was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year, shared that the administration of the detention centre does not allow him access to his medication – earlier this year, Gorinov was found to have tuberculosis- personal items, and documents. Letters, according to the politician, arrive late. Because Gorinov does not have access to documents, he is unable to submit a complaint about the conditions.
Gorinov was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment for his anti-war statements during a Senate hearing. Additions to his sentence came from his alleged communications with fellow cellmates. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, were loud with their condemnation of Gorinov’s sentence. Both the EU and the US sanctioned the judges involved in this case. You can read more about Alexei, follow his blog, and write him a letter here.
Irina Danilovich, rights activist jailed in Russia, shared of traceless torture that she and her fellow female prisoners experience – constant extremely bright light make sleep impossible and speakers playing on maximum volume during the day damage ear canals.
Fines
Fines for Discreditation
84-year old Leningrad siege survivor Lyudmila Vasilyeva was fined 10,000 rubles (approximately $170) for “discreditation of Russian forces” during her solo anti-war protest.
Director of nightclub where a 2003 song of Verka Serduchka “Gulyanochka” was played was fined 300,000 rubles (approximately $5,000) for discreditation of Russian armed forces. One of the lines of the song stated “Ще не вмерла Україна” (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished) in the context of partying.
Polina Ivanova – a cultural preservation activist – was fined 40,000 rubles (approximately $650) for discrediting Russian forces in an antiwar Facebook post made in 2022.
Victor Komlev, a retiree, was fined 170,000 rubles (approximately $2,800) for liking posts on social media critiquing Russia’s invasion onto Ukraine.
Leader of Slaughter to Prevail group Aleksandr Shikol was fined 50,000 rubles (approximately $820) under the charge of discreditation of the Russian forces. The fine took its roots in antiwar comments produced by the group.
Fines Connected to Undesirable Organizations
Denis Adamov, a local journalist, was fined 5,000 rubles (approximately $80) for a 2014 link to a “undesirable” organization Дождь (Dozd).
Nadezhda Bratenkova was fined 7,000 rubles (approximately $115) for reposting a story on Instagram created by Free Russia Fond – an “undesirable” organization focused on supporting the democratic forces within Russia.
Yuri Sergeev, who works with the Bellona Foundation, was fined 5,000 rubels (approximately $80) under the charge of participating in the activities of an “undesirable” organization.
Other Fines
29-year old Vladislav Solohin was fined 400,000 rubles (approximately $6,500) and a three-year ban on administration of internet pages for comments calling for dismantling of state leadership and violence towards law enforcements.
Russian university was fined 250,000 rubles (approximately $4,000) for “creating hate towards judicial experts” by publishing a report on the issues of judicial exports.
Editor Victor Muchnikov was fined 5,000 rubles (approximately $80) for participating in an “undesirable organization” by being part of an interview.
Co-founder of a 7×7 publication, Pavel Andreev, was fined 75,000 rubles (approximately $1,200) for calls for separation.
Imprisonment
Imprisonment for Discreditation
Blogger Maria Mahmutova was jailed for discrediting Russian forces in a video where she stated that she will drink wine if all Russian soldiers involved in the war die the next day.
Sharofiddin Gadoev, an opposition activist and a member of banned opposition political movements in Tajikistan, was sentenced in absentia to 8.5 years on imprisonment for a 20-minute video on YouTube sharing that Russian forces murder Ukrainian civilians. Previously, Gadoev has been forcibly transported from Moscow to Tajikistan and was held there. He currently resides in the Netherlands.
Ivan Apostolevsky, a member of parliament, was arrested for a 2017 post in support of Alexei Navalny.
Marina Kizlik was arrested for publishing “war fakes” on the internet.
Imprisonment for Calls to and Justifying Terrorism
53-year old Gregory Pashkov was sentenced to 4 years of imprisonment on the charges of justifying terrorism. Paskov publicly justified Ukrainian attack on the Cremean bridge.
Pavel Cheberyako was fined 350,000 rubles (approximately $5,800) on the charges of justifying terrorism for comments on YouTube.
Aleksei Kolesnikov was sentenced to 8 years under the charges of justifying terrorism and calling for extremism for posting two comments on the internet. In his comments, Kolesnikov called for violence towards political powers of Russia.
Writer Boris Akunin was sentenced to 14 years in absentia for “failing to follow “foreign agent” regulations, facilitating terroristic activity, and justifying terrorism.”
46-year old blogger from Buryatia that resides in the US was sentenced in absentia to 6 years of imprisonment and a 3 year publication on the internet ban for a video that contained “calls to terrorism”. On his YouTube channel, the blogger shares his anti-war stance, critique of Vladimir Putin, and support of Alexei Navalny.
Egor Voshinin, a 51-year old doctor, was arrested for “calls to terrorism.” The case was opened due to messages in a pro-Ukrainian Telegram chat where the Voshinin called for physical violence towards Russian leadership.
Imprisonment Connected to Undesirable Organizations and Foreign Agents
Galina Timchenko, founder and publisher of Meduza, was arrested in absentia for participating in an undesirable organization. She was previously declared a “foreign agent.”
TV broadcaster Tatyana Lazareva was arrested in absentia for failing to adhere to the rules concerning “foreign agents.”
Imprisonment of Ukrainian Nationals
66-year old Alexander Antonov, who is a citizen of Russia, Ukraine, and the US, was sentenced to 6 years for pro-Ukrainian comments.
Ukrainian citizen Vladislav Bugar was sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment for donating to the Ukrainian forces. You can write Vladislav a letter here.
Liudmila Gonchar, a Ukrainian citizen, was sentenced to 3 years for one 1000 rubles (approximately $16) donation to the Anti Corruption Foundation. You can read more about Liudmila and write her a letter here.
Imprisonment of Ukrainian Soldiers and Prisoners of War
2 Ukrainian prisoners of war – Maksym Nazarenko and Grigory Mikushev – were sentenced to 16 and 15 years of imprisonment respectably under the charge of terrorism. They joined more than 300 Ukrainian soldiers that participated in combat in Kursk Oblast and that are currently imprisoned in Russia under this charge. You can write a letter to Maksym here, and to Grigory here.
Imprisonment of Defected Soldiers
Defected soldier Anton Hozhaev was sentenced to 23 years under the charges of “performance management of a terrorist organization, treason, legalization of funds obtained by criminal means, and defection.
Hazhaev pled not guilty and insisted that the sooner the war ends, the less “financial and human resources” will be wasted. He stated:
I simply wanted to help a neighboring nation restore peace on their land, expel occupiers and governmental terrorists from their land. My wishes were the most peaceful. Moreover, it is not a secret that [authorities] in the Russian Federation recognize everyone who is against the aggressive politics of the country’s ruling as terrorists.
During the hearing, Hozhaev also shared that he was beaten and tortured by the Federal Security Forces (FSS) in an attempt to influence his admissions. During his last appearance in court, Hozhaev asked:
Please, stop calling me a soldier; I do not want to associate with the ‘biogarbage’ that are the Russian forces – it is a dirty dump, which was proven by the events after February 24, 2022. I also wanted to clarify: I did not lie to the FSS when I told them that I do not personally know anyone from Security Services of Ukraine or Ukraine police. Torturing me was not necessary. And in conclusion of my last appearance in court, I would like to address the whole Ukraine nation. My friends, do not be afraid, be braver, fight… I am innocent. Glory to Ukraine.” (Darina Boykova for JURIST)
Imprisonment Relating to Freedom of Russia Legion
Sentencing of Prisoners
Prisoner Andrei Voronin was sentenced to additional 6 years for discussing war in Ukraine with a cellmate, where he notes that “to stop war, we need to shoot Putin.”
Legal Actions for “Glory to Ukraine” Phrase
Legal Actions Connected to The Anti-Corruption Foundation
The Anti-Corruption Foundation, established by Alexei Navalny, was categorized as “extremist” by the Russian state in 2021. Since then, Russian citizens faced legal repercussions for supporting the foundation.
Fines for Donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation
- An unnamed man was fined 300,000 (approximately $5,000) rubles for making a donation of 761 rubles (approximately $12).
- Nikita Demyanov, a director of a cultural preservation organization, was fined 500,000 rubles (approximately $8,000) for making seven donations.
- Reporter Sergey Abramov was fined 150,000 rubles (approximately $2,500).
- 59-year old Igor Meshalnikov was fined 40,000 rubels (approximately $650) for donating 2,100 rubles (approximately $34).
- 59-year old Valery Ledkov was fined 120,000 rubles (approximately $2,000).
- A 48-year old was fined 200,000 rubles (approximately $3,300).
- 22-year old student Piotr Uskov was fined 300,000 rubels (approximately $5,000) for donating a total of 2,100 rubles (approximately $350).
Imprisonment Relating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation
Grigory Kunis was arrested for donating to the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Dmitry Marsov sentenced to 3 years for donations totaling 1500 rubles (approximately $25).
Liudmila Gonchar, a Ukrainian citizen, was sentenced to 3 years for one 1000 rubles (approximately $16) donation. You can read more about Liudmila and write her a letter here.
A young person has been arrested for donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Olga Komleva, a journalist from Ufa, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment on the charges of collaborating with the Anti-Corruption Foundation and “war fakes.” Komleva has diabetes and has had trouble receiving medication in the detention centre. She was volunteer for Alexei Navalny’s headquarters, and has been previously arrested and fined during protests. As a journalist, she covered protests in Russia. You can read more about Olga, visit her blog, or write a letter here.
Additions to the Lists by the Russian State
Additions to the Wanted List
Nikolai Polozov, a lawyer residing in Ukraine, was placed on a wanted list; the charges against him are not known yet. He has been previously fined for his comments on the murders of Bucha civilians on YouTube in 2024 and for failing to identify himself as a “foreign agent” on Telegram in 2025.
Polozov, who is originally from Moscow, has defended activists and Ukrainians in court since the 2010s. In 2012, he represented Pussy Riot, an activist punk rock group known for their opposition of Putin’s regime, after their arrest following a “Putin’s Pissed Himself” performance in the Red Square, Moscow. Around 2013, Polozov spent several years defending the leader of the Left Front movement, Sergei Udaltsov, who was one of the catalysts of the anti-government protests at the time. From 2014 to 2016, Polozov defended a Ukrainian forces pilot, Nadezda Savchenko, who was captured by the Russian forces after the Russian annexation of Crimea. Savchenko was convicted to 22 years in prison after an unfair trial, according to Human Rights Watch. (Darina Boykova for JURIST)
Alla Konstantinova, a Mediazona journalist from Karelia, was placed on a wanted list for failing to identify herself as a “foreign agent.” Konstantinova covered “abuse in Russian prisons, harmful Covid policies, and various human rights violations after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
Dmitry Zakhvatov, a lawyer and founder of a Action4Life project that assists Ukrainian forces with medicine, transport and more, was placed on a wanted list.
Writer Dmitry Bykov was added to a wanted list for allegedly spreading “fakes” about Russian forces and failing to adhere to the rules concerning “foreign agents.”
Additions to the Foreign Agents List
Pavel Elizarov, former associate of Boris Nemtsov, journalists Valery Potashov and Daria Litvishko, blogger Nikolai Rudov, co-founder of a Free Yakutia Fond Raisa Zubareva, and a movement focused on finding and returning Russian soldiers home were added to the “foreign agent” list.
Publication Activatica, journalist Masha Mayres, political scientist Vasily Zharkov, journalist Ksenia Kirillova, Poet Natalya Reznik, blogger Dmitry Khramzov, activist Dmitry Velikiy and former municipal parliamentarian Ksenia Torstrem were added to the “foreign agent” list.
Additions to the Undesirable Organizations List
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, human rights non-profit based on Helsinki Declaration, the Eurasian Harm Reduction Association and the European Resilience Initiative Centre, German democratic social fond Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and the Andrei Sakharov Institute were added to the list of undesirable organizations.
Yale University was also added to the list of undesirable organizations. It was mentioned that Alexei Navalny and Leonid Volkov both attended the Ivy League University.
Additions to the Extremism List
Alexei Navalny’s The Patriot was added to the list of extremist materials.
Termination of Important Projects
Election watchdog «Голос» (Golos) terminated its work citing the sentencing of Grigory Melkonyants earlier this year as a core reason.
The watch concluded its declaration, stating: “Fairness, unfortunately, does not always win – it needs to be fought for. And there is constant risk of a loss. This time the risk came true … Goodbye.”
You can read more about Grigory and write him a letter here.
Movement “Peace. Progress. Human Rights” terminated its work after the organization was identified as “undesirable” in Russia.
Rights defender Elena Efros announced of the termination of the “Fairytales for political prisoners” project due to the state’s crackdown onto “extremism.”
Continued Crackdown on the LGTBQA+ Community
Irina Hohlatkina was fined 100,000 rubles (approximately $1600) under “LGBTQA+ propaganda” charges for a meme showing men in wedding dresses.
The meme depicted men who say “let’s split the bill,” “I waited for you to make a first move,” “why should I be the one to invite [a girl] on a first date?,” and “prove to me that you need me” as men in wedding dresses, establishing a connection between the phrases and self emasculation. (Darina Boykova for JURIST)
Samvel Avakyan, editor of Sport24 publication, was fined 200,000 rubles (approximately $3,300) under the charges of “LGLBQA+ propaganda” for publishing a news of a female athlete confirming her relationship with another female athlete.
Pavel Osipov, an eco-activist and a lawyer, was fined 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,600) under the charge of “LGTBQA+ propaganda” for a photo of two kissing woman, one of which Osipov was representing. The photo, according to Osipov was used for his legal work.
Yaroslav Rasputin, a correspondent for Just Got Lucky and employee of “Guys Plus”, was fined 200,000 rubles (approximately $3,300) on the charges of “LBGTQA+ propaganda” for a post about International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Bookstore Falalster was fined 800,000 rubles (approximately $10,000) and its founder, Boris Kupriyanov, 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,600) on the charges of LGBTQA+ “propaganda” for selling LGTBQA+ books.
Alexsandr Hmelev, a priest and founder of a Christian LGTBQA+ community, left Russia following anonymous threats of persecution.