The author of “Protest MSU” Dmitry Ivanov, convicted because of anti-war posts, was transferred from a pre-trial detention center

The author of “Protest MSU” Dmitry Ivanov was transported from pre-trial detention center-5 “Vodnik” to an unknown direction. This was reported by the telegram channel of the political prisoner support group.

In March 2023, the court sentenced the activist to eight years and six months in prison on charges of distributing “fakes” about the Russian army based on hatred or enmity (clause “d”, part 2, article 207.3 of the Criminal Code).

23-year-old Ivanov was detained and sent to a pre-trial detention center in June 2022. The reason for initiating the case was publications in the telegram channel “Protest MSU”: they talk about Russian attacks on the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant and on cities in Ukraine, about the losses of Russian aviation in the war and tragedies in Bucha and Irpen , and there is also a post where “ special operation" is called war.

June 28 It became known that for some time until June 26, Ivanov was kept in pre-trial detention center-1 “Korovniki” in the city of Yaroslavl, and then was transferred to pre-trial detention center-2 in the city of Rybinsk. Prison Moscow State University reports this.

On June 29, Ivanov was transferred to pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Nizhny Novgorod. The support group learned about this from Ivanov’s letter to his mother.

“Nizhny greeted us with solid ground under our feet and a clear sky above our heads—the prison grounds here are driven along the street, not through catacombs. The buildings are ancient—it’s likely that future revolutionaries once sat in these cells. It’s like being in a museum!” the prisoner shared his impressions of the new place.

The support group notes that the Rybinsk pre-trial detention center appears to be holding another Dmitry Ivanov - or there was an error in the F-letter system.

• In January 2023, Dmitry Ivanov spoke about being beaten by a guard after a court hearing. According to the support channel, the guard hit Ivanov multiple times with a baton on the head and ribs, tightened the handcuffs tightly and threatened to rape him. In May, based on the results of an inspection, the Investigative Committee refused to initiate a criminal case.
• Since February 24, 2022—the first day of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine—residents of Russian cities have been holding anti-war protests every day and talking about the tragedy online. Anti-war speeches and statements become grounds for criminal prosecution. At the moment, more than 600 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our infographic .
• Article 207.3 (Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation) was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 - in this way the authorities responded to anti-war speeches and statements, as well as the dissemination of information about the war that does not come from official Russian sources. The maximum penalty under this article is 15 years in prison.