Articles

The Moskalevs’ story

Masha Moskaleva, a 13-year-old girl, has been thrown into a «rehab centre», her dad — beaten and put on house arrest, and their family savings — stolen. All this for drawing an anti-war painting in her art class

The Moskalevs are from Yefremov, a small town in Russia. Alexei Moskalev, Masha’s dad, is a single father. He owns a business selling pet birds. Both him and his daughter oppose the invasion of Ukraine.

«Z — for Russia»: Moscow authorities raid hip pubs and a cultural centre

On Friday, 17th of March, Moscow pubs, Underdog and La Virgen, were raided by the special forces equipped with, а sledgehammer, tasers, and K-9. Official reason for the raid was to check whether the pubs are «sponsoring the Ukrainian Army». At least 40 patrons and staff were detained. Two days later, police disrupted a launch of a book written by current political prisoner Sasha Skochilenko, that was taking place in the «Open Space».

Wasn’t caught but will be judged: anti-war activists put on trial in absentia

Russian citizens who fled the country and openly oppose the war in Ukraine are now tried in absentia for «spreading fakes about the armed forces» (207.3 of the Criminal Code). Sentences have been passed for instagrammer Veronika Belotserkovskaya, former police officer Oleg Kashintsev, and former TV broadcaster Alexander Nevzorov. We are offering an insight into what a trial with no defendant looks like.

«This is what the Nazis did, not our own Russians». 3.5 years in prison for posting on social media

In the summer of 2022, a criminal case for «justification of terrorism» was initiated against Andrey Biryukov, a resident of Voronezh (a regional centre in southwestern Russia). The man got detained after the search in the apartment where he lived with his grandmother and grandfather. He was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. Two posts on the social network VKontakte became grounds for criminal cases.

The father — to jail, his daughter — orphanage

Alexei Moskalyov is a single dad for his 12-year-old daughter Masha. One day in an art class Masha drew a picture of Russian and Ukrainian flags together with signs «No To War» and «Glory to Ukraine». In retaliation, Masha was interrogated and taken to an orphanage, her father — beaten and detained, and the family’s cash savings — stolen.

This exiled eco-activist spoke out against the war. Then his house was burned down

In early December, eco-activist Andrei Panyushkin reported the arson of his house in the Krasnodar region, in south-european Russia. He linked this to his anti-war posts on social media. The official cause of the fire has not yet been established, and Panyushkin hasn’t received any replies to his appeals to the police and the prosecutor’s office as well. OVD-Info publishes his monologue about the incident.

A Russian man got fined for a dream about Zelenskyy

In the western Russian city of Chita, a 26-year-old sauna owner Ivan Losev got a court fine in the amount of 30 thousand rubles (US$ 437). He was charged with discrediting the Russian army (article 20.3.3. of the Russian Code on Administrative Offences) for posting several stories on Instagram — in particular, for retelling his dream about the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyyy. OVD-Info is publishing Ivan’s story.

«Between ‘Disgusting’ and ‘Scary’» — an old dissident’s life in a letter from a detention centre

On December 22, a court in Vologda sentenced Vladimir Rumyantsev to 3 years in a general regime penal colony for spreading «fakes» about the Russian army. The 61-year-old boiler furnace operator and radio enthusiast was accused of spreading deliberately false information on his social media and via his personal radio. He spent more than 5 months in the pre-trial detention centre.

Eight to one. More than 500 «discrediting the armed forces» cases have been dismissed by court or returned to the police

Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code on discrediting the armed forces, introduced in March of 2022, is a popular tool in fighting those protesting against the war. But experience has shown that judges often side with the citizens accused of violating it. We try to explain why that might be.

Putin-antichrist and a sermon of unjust victory: why a priest from the Sverdlovsk region was fined 100,000 rubles

A court of Verkhoturye ruled Evgeniy Pinchuk aka Nikandr (a priest of Russian Orthodox church abroad) to pay a fine of 100,000 rubles for a repeated discreditation of the Russian army (part 1, article 280.3 of the criminal code) last October. The reason for the prosecution is Pinchuk’s post on the VK social network, where he called the actions of the Russian army an occupation. OVD-info publishes the priest’s story.

Please take me back to 2017. Investigation of OVD-Info on putting pressure on independent municipal deputies by the Moscow authorities

Different types of elections that took place in September 2022 in Russia were far from becoming the main topic on the Russian social agenda — war in Ukraine, conscription, and referendums on the accession of the new territories were of much greater concern. Therefore, using the example of Moscow municipalities, we resolved to analyze the state’s reaction to the opposition within the government agencies.

«At times there are moments when silence is not acceptable». Interview with Alexei Gorinov

Moscow municipal deputy Alexei Gorinov was sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison for the anti-war statement he made during a council meeting. Gorinov proposed to suspend district holidays while children are dying in Ukraine. At the request of OVD-Info journalist Ilya Azar entered into correspondence with Alexei, what follows is the conversation between two former municipal deputies.

Blue dress and yellow flowers: The story of how the activist Arshak Makichyan spoke out against the war and was deprived of his citizenship

Arshak Makichyan is the organizer of the Russian climate movement Fridays for Future and has spoken at the UN together with Greta Thunberg. After the start of the war with Ukraine, he publicly announced his anti-war stance and, fearing arrest, left Russia. At the end of October, the Shatursky City Court of the Moscow Region stripped Arshak and his family of their Russian citizenship, which had been their only citizenship.

Saint Javelina: How a fifth-grader and her mother were detained for a profile picture with the Ukrainian flag and chat messages

On October 5 in Nekrasovka district of Moscow, police took Varya, a fifth-grader, to a police station. Her mother Yelena was also brought there with her. The reason for the detention of the girl was a letter from the school principal, who complained about the girl’s profile picture featuring a Ukrainian flag on a social network, as well as her skipping propaganda lessons. We publish the mother’s story about what happened.

«The happiest man in prison». The story of a Danish citizen who served time in Russia for his involvement with Jehovah’s Witnesses

On May 25, a Danish citizen Dennis Christensen was released after five years behind bars. In 2019, after two years spent in a pre-trial detention center, the court sentenced him to six years of imprisonment under the Article 282.2 Section 1 on «Organizing the activity of an extremist organization». OVD-Info tells his story.

Call-up papers misdirected. Those detained at protests are served call-up orders to report to military draft centers, but not to the correct ones

After the mobilization was announced, protests erupted in dozens of Russian cities. According to our data, between September 21 and 24, 2 402 people were detained. In many police stations in Moscow and in some police stations in the regions, policemen served call-up papers to detained men; in some known cases those call-up papers were not directing them to the correct draft centers where these men were registered.

«No other language but the language of pain». A monologue of a man from Moscow oblast, who was tortured because his brother is an anarchist

Anarchist Ivan Ivko left Russia in July due to the risk of criminal prosecution. Later in August his brother Pyotr was sentenced for 3 days of arrest by the court in Moscow. After the court session Pyotr was brought to the police station, where he was tortured with electricity. He was demanded to tell everything he knew about his brother’s whereabouts.

Brilliant green for «traitors». Since February 24, protesters have faced attacks and threats more often

Since February 24, Russians protesting against the war have faced not only arrests, criminal proceedings, and dismissals, but also non-state pressure. Unknown people paint their apartment doors with the letters Z and V, splash them with brilliant green, and send them threats on social networks. We explain with examples and figures what this expanding trend is.

Rough arrests and call-up papers: anti-mobilisation rallies on 21 September

On 21 September, after a long break, mass anti-war rallies broke out across Russia once again. They were triggered by the announcement of mobilisation. Arrests have taken place in 39 cities; at least 1,310 people have been detained. The police were violent; in several cities, journalists were detained.