Nearly 5 people were subjected to political repression in Russia in 2025, according to a Memorial report.

The human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" опубликовал A new report on repression in Russia for 2025 has been released. According to the study, nearly 5 people have been prosecuted on politically motivated charges. Meanwhile, the number of official political prisoners in the country has increased significantly.

The rise in the number of political prisoners and the main reasons for persecution

Specifically, human rights activists counted 4,843 people persecuted by security forces for political reasons. However, one in four of those accused was officially recognized as a political prisoner. As a result, the number increased from 803 to 1265 by 2025.

Moreover, more than 60% of political prisoners are persecuted specifically in connection with the war in Ukraine. Consequently, an anti-war stance remains the main pretext for pressure from the authorities.

Main articles of criminal prosecution

According to Memorial, the main instruments of political repression were Article 205 (terrorist act), Article 275 (treason), and Article 205.2 (justification of terrorism).

Furthermore, the number of convictions under Article 282.3, which deals with financing extremism, has increased by more than 60%. Specifically, law enforcement officials link most of these cases to donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation and other "extremist" organizations.