Russia is repressive. July 8-14, 2024.

Chronicle of repressions in Russia.

During the second week of July, 23 criminal cases became known where, according to Avtozak LIVE, there was a political motive. This is 2 more cases than in the same period - last week the security forces opened 21 such cases.

Security forces prosecute defendants in 5 cases for verbal statements, but for violent crimes the figure differs by more than two times - 12 criminal cases. Also last week, at least 9 cases were opened under terrorism charges. Of the 23 cases, 18 are related to or brought directly because of the war in Ukraine.

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This digest was prepared based on the database of our project “If there were no war.”

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July 8, 2024:

In the Republic of Sakha-Yakutia, a 36-year-old resident of the Mirny district of the republic was detained on charges of treason. According to security forces, the man, whose name has not been released, allegedly transferred cryptocurrency to the Russian Freedom Legion, an armed association fighting on the side of Ukraine. According to the FSB, the Yakut joined the Legion group on social networks and received instructions from the “curators of the Kyiv regime” to transfer money “to the crypto wallet of an enemy unit.”
In the Trans-Baikal Territory, a local resident was detained on charges of participation in the activities of a terrorist organization. According to security forces, the man, whose name has not been reported, in 2022 joined the ranks of the banned international organization “Artpodgotovka,” which was recognized as terrorist in the Russian Federation.
A local resident, a citizen of Ukraine, was detained in the occupied Lugansk region. She was accused of financing extremist and terrorist activities. According to Russian security officials, a woman, whose name has not been disclosed, knowing that the Ukrainian organizations “Azov” and “Right Sector” banned in the Russian Federation are recognized as terrorist and extremist, from January to April 2024, she made at least ten transfers of funds to bank cards to members of these organizations. At the request of the investigation, the court chose a preventive measure for the Ukrainian woman in the form of detention.
An 18-year-old student was detained in the city of Ukhta in the Komi Republic. According to the security forces, a young man, whose name has not been reported, the night before in a city park in the city, with a black marker, wrote inscriptions on posters with portraits of military personnel - participants in a special military operation. It is unknown what kind of inscriptions the young man made. A criminal case was opened against the student for vandalism based on political hatred. During the investigation, the court chose a preventive measure for the young man in the form of a ban on certain actions.
In the city of Semikarakorsk, Rostov Region, a criminal case was opened for attempted terrorism against a 17-year-old student of the local agricultural technology college, Nikolai Sh. He was detained on the night of June 12, 2024 on Boris Kulikov Avenue next to the building of a humanitarian aid collection point. According to the security forces, during the search Nikolai was allegedly found to have a bottle with a flammable liquid and matches. The teenager was going to set fire to a humanitarian aid point, but he was “intercepted by officers of the Russian FSB Directorate for the Rostov Region.”

July 9, 2024:

Judge Elena Lenskaya of the Basmanny District Court of Moscow chose in absentia a preventive measure in the form of arrest for the widow of politician Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya. She was accused of “participation in an extremist organization.” Navalnaya was also put on the wanted list.
In Moscow, at the Ostankino station, an unknown person set fire to a relay cabinet. The cabinet was only burned on the outside; the equipment inside was not damaged. Later, a 59-year-old local resident, pensioner Sergei Fedorov, was detained on charges of arson. A criminal case was opened against him for a terrorist attack committed as part of a group of persons by prior conspiracy. The Meshchansky District Court of Moscow sent Fedorov into custody.
In St. Petersburg, at the Smolensk cemetery, on July 9 and 10, 2024, unknown persons set fire to the grave of Major General Sergei Goryachev, who died on June 12, 2023 in the Zaporozhye region during military operations in Ukraine. The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for desecration of the burial. They are looking for arsonists.
In the city of Sochi, Krasnodar Territory, a criminal case for contempt of court was opened against 72-year-old Sochi activist Vladimir Atamanchuk. Atamanchuk himself considers the new case a continuation of the persecution for his pacifist position. He was brought in following a complaint from a victim in a libel case due to anti-war leaflets scattered in the entrance.

July 10, 2024:

In Perm, the investigative department for the Dzerzhinsky district of the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Perm opened a criminal case for “repeated discrediting” of the Russian army against 46-year-old activist Valery Mankevich. At his registered address, where his mother lives, security forces conducted a search and seized all the equipment. It is unknown what became the reason for the criminal prosecution. Mankiewicz left Russia.
In Sochi, Krasnodar Territory, unknown persons set fire to the building of the Lazarevsky District Court. The fire area was 300 square meters. The cause of the fire was not officially reported. Unofficially, the so-called Kuban partisan movement took responsibility for the arson of the building.
In the city of Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region, the former coordinator of the local branch of the “Voice” movement, Natalya Guseva, was searched. A criminal case was opened against her for repeated “discrediting of the army.” The reason for the criminal prosecution was a comment on Odnoklassniki published in June 2023. What exactly it was is unknown.
In Moscow, the FSB announced the detention of a man (his name has not been disclosed) who was allegedly preparing a terrorist attack against three high-ranking military officers. According to the security forces, the man was recruited by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and, on his instructions, the person involved in the case, through courier services, organized the delivery of three high-power explosive devices disguised in gift wrapping. The bombs were to be delivered to the addresses of the heads of departments of the Ministry of Defense. The detainee planned to detonate the bombs after the couriers reported on the delivery.
In Murmansk, the Investigation Department of the FSB Directorate for the Northern Fleet opened a criminal case on inducing or otherwise involving a person in committing a terrorist attack against a certain “Oleg” and other “unidentified” persons. According to security officials, Ukrainian special services tried to recruit a Russian to carry out a terrorist attack on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. It is alleged that in March 2024, an employee of the Ukrainian special services, introducing himself as Oleg, wrote to a Russian serviceman born in 2000 in Telegram and WhatsApp to a Russian serviceman born in 2000, who served on an aircraft carrier. During telephone conversations, he persuaded the military man to commit a terrorist attack on the ship, and promised, after receiving a video recording confirming the arson on the cruiser, to evacuate the Russian to Finland. However, the officer contacted the FSB, after which the security forces carried out an “operational game” of staging a fire on the ship in order to identify the “intelligence network.” The alleged organizers and accomplices of the alleged recruitment of Russian servicemen were put on the wanted list.
In Krasnodar, unknown persons set fire to a relay cabinet at the Pashkovskaya station. Russian Railways employees discovered a damaged relay cabinet - the cabinet door was bent back, and traces of arson were visible inside. They are looking for arsonists.
In St. Petersburg, a criminal case was opened regarding “fakes” about the Russian army based on political hatred against the teacher, founder of the Orange school, Vadim Zitser. Details of the charges are unknown. Zitser himself left Russia and is abroad.
In the city of Yalta in the annexed Crimea, a criminal case was opened against a local resident, native of Dnepropetrovsk, Tatyana Bibik, for calls for extremist activity on the Internet. According to the security forces, Bibik, being an active participant in Ukrainian Telegram chats, posted news discrediting the army, the country and the president, and also called for violence against “Russians.”

July 11, 2024:

In Moscow, a 28-year-old resident of the city of Kovrov, Vladimir Region, was allegedly detained while trying to leave for Ukraine. A criminal case was opened against the young man for calls for terrorism and preparation for participation in the activities of a terrorist organization. According to security forces, the man called for terrorist actions on the Internet, and also in October 2023 entered into correspondence with unidentified persons located on the territory of Ukraine, and filled out a form for a serviceman enlisting in the military formations of Ukraine “Legion “Russian Freedom”. The court chose a preventive measure for the man in the form of detention.
In the annexed Crimea, the Russian FSB Directorate for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol detained a resident of Simeiz, who, according to security forces, tried to go to Ukraine to fight against Russia. According to investigators, the man, whose name has not been disclosed, contacted members of a terrorist organization via an Internet messenger, told them that he wanted to fight against the Russian Armed Forces and received instructions on how to do this. A criminal case was opened against a Crimean citizen for preparation for participation in the activities of a terrorist organization. The Kyiv District Court of Simferopol sent the person involved in the case under arrest.

July 12, 2024:

In the city of Kolomna, Moscow region, a 40-year-old local resident was detained . According to security forces, the man snuck into the police parking lot, set fire to a company Ford, and then fled. The car exploded and the fire spread to two neighboring ones. As a result, the Ford and UAZ Hunter burned out completely, and the Patriot was partially burned. No one was hurt. During the interrogation, the man allegedly stated that he was forced to attack the site by Ukrainian swindlers, who first stole his money and promised to return it after setting it on fire. A criminal case was opened against the man for a terrorist attack committed by an organized group, which resulted in significant property damage. The court sent him to a pre-trial detention center.
In the Oryol region, a local resident was detained on charges of treason and facilitating terrorist activities. According to security officials, the man, whose name has not been disclosed, repeatedly transferred money in 2023-2024 to the accounts of Ukrainian organizations recognized as terrorist organizations in the Russian Federation. The person involved in the case was placed in custody.
In annexed Sevastopol, a 42-year-old citizen of Ukraine was detained on charges of espionage. According to Russian security officials, employees of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense contacted the detainee and agreed that he would confidentially disclose to them information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The man allegedly transmitted information about the places of permanent deployment of Russian army units in the territory of the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, installed cameras and transmitted information in real time. The defendant was chosen as a preventive measure in the form of detention.

July 13, 2024:

In the city of Ruza, Moscow region, a criminal case was opened regarding the rehabilitation of Nazism and vandalism against a local resident, her full name is unknown. According to investigators, on July 13, 2024, a girl (possibly a teenager) fried sausages over the eternal flame at the memorial on Oktyabrskoye Street. The choice of a preventive measure has not been announced.