Society
OVD-Info Releases Annual Report on Persecution in Russia
February 19, 2026
OVD-Info’s latest report suggests repression in Russia is shifting into “gray areas,” with treason, extremism and terrorism charges used more widely in 2025. The authorities continue to ratchet up pressure on activists, minorities and dissenters even as arrests at protests have declined.
In December, OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights media project, released its annual report on repression carried out by the Russian state in the last year. The report’s authors note that the number of politically motivated criminal cases has declined on paper and returned to prewar levels, but this may be due to a migration of repression into gray areas – with charges of treason, espionage and terrorism increasingly being used in political cases.
The key term used by OVD-Info – “political persecution” – implies a political motive for persecution by the state without regard for the individual being accused. Thus, this term is broader than the traditionally used term “political prisoner.” In the introduction to the 2025 report, the report stresses that determining the political motive for persecution is becoming harder, due to the rising numbers of prosecutions for treason, espionage, terrorism and extremism (not all of which can be classified as politically motivated) and the closed nature of these cases.
The key term used by OVD-Info – “political persecution” – implies a political motive for persecution by the state without regard for the individual being accused. Thus, this term is broader than the traditionally used term “political prisoner.” In the introduction to the 2025 report, the report stresses that determining the political motive for persecution is becoming harder, due to the rising numbers of prosecutions for treason, espionage, terrorism and extremism (not all of which can be classified as politically motivated) and the closed nature of these cases.
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In the section on prosecutions for treason, espionage and secret collaboration with foreigners (an article introduced into the Russian Criminal Code in 2022), the report’s authors quote Yevgeny Smirnov, a lawyer with the Department One legal group. Smirnov, an expert in such cases, says that, in his view, any prosecution under these articles by the Russian state can be considered “political.”
Almost any assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainians, as well as contacts with foreign citizens and similar actions, may serve as grounds for charges of treason. According to Department One, many such cases may have been initiated by Russian intelligence.
Residents of occupied Ukrainian territory are often prosecuted either under this article or under the espionage article, depending on whether they have received Russian citizenship at the time the criminal case is opened.
According to the Judicial Department of the Russian Supreme Court, the number of treason convictions in the first half of 2025 almost doubled compared to the same period in 2024 (115 versus 55, respectively). However, according to Department One, this figure may be understated threefold.
Regarding terrorism and sabotage cases, OVD-Info stresses that not every one can be considered politically motivated. However, the increase in them (courts hand down an average of five verdicts on these articles every day) may point to abuse of the relevant legislation by the Russian state. Such prosecutions often affect captured Ukrainian soldiers and residents of occupied territory, while among Russian citizens, it is people suspected of damaging military infrastructure or maintaining contacts with the Ukrainian side.
Furthermore, OVD-Info notes that counterterrorism and “anti-extremism” legislation is increasingly being used to persecute opposition and discriminated-against groups. This applies in particular to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and its supporters, as well as LGBTQ+ persons. In 2021, FBK was designated an extremist organization, and in 2025, a terrorist organization. As of end-2025, OVD-Info had learned of 120 criminal cases against people who donated money to FBK.
Recall that the Russian Supreme Court issued its decision to ban “LGBT” as an “extremist organization” in late 2023. In 2025, Coming Out, a project to help LGBTQ+ persons in Russia, estimated the number of cases of pressure on the LGBTQ+ community at several hundred. Publishers of books depicting same-sex relationships, sex educators, bar and massage parlor owners, and individuals who have spoken out about LGBTQ+ topics on social media are being prosecuted for participating in this “extremist organization.” Furthermore, the state continues to enforce the administrative law on the “propaganda of same-sex relationships,” which carries heavy fines for both ordinary citizens and producers or distributors of books and films depicting such relationships.
Religious groups also continue to face persecution under extremism laws in Russia – particularly noteworthy is the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, whom the Supreme Court banned as extremists in 2017. One of the most notable practices of 2025 was the designation of various categories of people (for example, spouses or business partners) as “extremist associations” so the state could confiscate the property and assets of its “members.” Thanks to a law passed in February 2025, it has become much easier for Russian authorities to designate certain groups of people as “extremists.”
Furthermore, as of end-2024, 172 “structural divisions” of the so-called Forum of Free Nations of Post-Russia – in reality, communities and chat rooms of decolonial activists and researchers – were added to Russia’s list of terrorist organizations. In 2025, OVD-Info learned of one criminal case related to this organization, but hundreds of people whom the state considers associated with the Forum of Free Nations are potentially at risk of prosecution. Last year also saw continued persecution of Muslims deemed to have links with the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist movement, opposition figures and anti-war activists.
Almost any assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainians, as well as contacts with foreign citizens and similar actions, may serve as grounds for charges of treason. According to Department One, many such cases may have been initiated by Russian intelligence.
Residents of occupied Ukrainian territory are often prosecuted either under this article or under the espionage article, depending on whether they have received Russian citizenship at the time the criminal case is opened.
According to the Judicial Department of the Russian Supreme Court, the number of treason convictions in the first half of 2025 almost doubled compared to the same period in 2024 (115 versus 55, respectively). However, according to Department One, this figure may be understated threefold.
Regarding terrorism and sabotage cases, OVD-Info stresses that not every one can be considered politically motivated. However, the increase in them (courts hand down an average of five verdicts on these articles every day) may point to abuse of the relevant legislation by the Russian state. Such prosecutions often affect captured Ukrainian soldiers and residents of occupied territory, while among Russian citizens, it is people suspected of damaging military infrastructure or maintaining contacts with the Ukrainian side.
Furthermore, OVD-Info notes that counterterrorism and “anti-extremism” legislation is increasingly being used to persecute opposition and discriminated-against groups. This applies in particular to Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) and its supporters, as well as LGBTQ+ persons. In 2021, FBK was designated an extremist organization, and in 2025, a terrorist organization. As of end-2025, OVD-Info had learned of 120 criminal cases against people who donated money to FBK.
Recall that the Russian Supreme Court issued its decision to ban “LGBT” as an “extremist organization” in late 2023. In 2025, Coming Out, a project to help LGBTQ+ persons in Russia, estimated the number of cases of pressure on the LGBTQ+ community at several hundred. Publishers of books depicting same-sex relationships, sex educators, bar and massage parlor owners, and individuals who have spoken out about LGBTQ+ topics on social media are being prosecuted for participating in this “extremist organization.” Furthermore, the state continues to enforce the administrative law on the “propaganda of same-sex relationships,” which carries heavy fines for both ordinary citizens and producers or distributors of books and films depicting such relationships.
Religious groups also continue to face persecution under extremism laws in Russia – particularly noteworthy is the persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses, whom the Supreme Court banned as extremists in 2017. One of the most notable practices of 2025 was the designation of various categories of people (for example, spouses or business partners) as “extremist associations” so the state could confiscate the property and assets of its “members.” Thanks to a law passed in February 2025, it has become much easier for Russian authorities to designate certain groups of people as “extremists.”
Furthermore, as of end-2024, 172 “structural divisions” of the so-called Forum of Free Nations of Post-Russia – in reality, communities and chat rooms of decolonial activists and researchers – were added to Russia’s list of terrorist organizations. In 2025, OVD-Info learned of one criminal case related to this organization, but hundreds of people whom the state considers associated with the Forum of Free Nations are potentially at risk of prosecution. Last year also saw continued persecution of Muslims deemed to have links with the Hizb ut-Tahrir Islamist movement, opposition figures and anti-war activists.
Vadim Artyukhin / Unsplash
At the same time, OVD-Info recorded a decrease in prosecutions under articles restricting freedom of speech – for example, 285 convictions under such articles were handed down in 2025 (20% fewer than the previous year). These cases typically concern statements deemed to be critical of the government or the army or to be expressing support for the Ukrainian army or Ukrainian soldiers. One of the most frequently used articles to prosecute people with anti-war views is “propaganda of terrorism.”
Ongoing is persecution related to the “display of symbols of extremist organizations” and disrespect for religion or the memory of World War II (Criminal Code articles on rehabilitation of Nazism and insulting the feelings of believers). The latter typically involves reckless behavior involving symbols of various faiths and monuments to World War II heroes.
According to Roskomsvoboda, an independent digital rights group, the number of blocked internet resources in 2025 exceeded 25,000. The authorities continued to restrict access to various internet resources, including messaging apps and videoconferencing services. They also began testing “whitelists” of approved websites and resources that would be able to operate during a complete internet shutdown.
OVD-Info recorded 362 arrests at protests in 2025 – a third as many as in the previous year. This is due to a noticeable decline in protest activity as repression has intensified. The two highest-profile cases involved protests against a municipal government reform in Altai Republic and musicians from the band Stoptime, who were performing songs by “banned” artists on the streets of St Petersburg.
Over the past year, 215 entries (178 individuals and 37 associations) were added to the “foreign agent” registry. Fourth-fifths of these had to do with alleged support for Ukraine, yet prowar individuals and organizations have also been added – because of their criticism of the authorities. Since early 2024, the number of criminal prosecutions for “failure to fulfill the duties of a foreign agent” – meaning filing income reports with the Ministry of Justice and labeling every public statement as “foreign agent” – has been going up.
The list of “undesirable organizations,” whose activities are criminalized, has also been updated more frequently, with human rights organizations increasingly added to the list. Cooperation with such organizations can result in fines or criminal prosecution for Russian residents. In 2025, OVD-Info learned of 240 cases under the relevant article of the Criminal Code.
In 2025, repression affected virtually all segments of the population – from human rights activists and independent journalists to doctors and military personnel. Both legal and informal forms of pressure are intensifying. Once in custody, many persecuted individuals are denied medical care, tortured and in other ways treated inhumanely. People who have managed to emigrate and avoided jail time with their sentence also experience constant pressure from the state – with property and financial restrictions and, in some cases, deprivation of citizenship.
Ongoing is persecution related to the “display of symbols of extremist organizations” and disrespect for religion or the memory of World War II (Criminal Code articles on rehabilitation of Nazism and insulting the feelings of believers). The latter typically involves reckless behavior involving symbols of various faiths and monuments to World War II heroes.
According to Roskomsvoboda, an independent digital rights group, the number of blocked internet resources in 2025 exceeded 25,000. The authorities continued to restrict access to various internet resources, including messaging apps and videoconferencing services. They also began testing “whitelists” of approved websites and resources that would be able to operate during a complete internet shutdown.
OVD-Info recorded 362 arrests at protests in 2025 – a third as many as in the previous year. This is due to a noticeable decline in protest activity as repression has intensified. The two highest-profile cases involved protests against a municipal government reform in Altai Republic and musicians from the band Stoptime, who were performing songs by “banned” artists on the streets of St Petersburg.
Over the past year, 215 entries (178 individuals and 37 associations) were added to the “foreign agent” registry. Fourth-fifths of these had to do with alleged support for Ukraine, yet prowar individuals and organizations have also been added – because of their criticism of the authorities. Since early 2024, the number of criminal prosecutions for “failure to fulfill the duties of a foreign agent” – meaning filing income reports with the Ministry of Justice and labeling every public statement as “foreign agent” – has been going up.
The list of “undesirable organizations,” whose activities are criminalized, has also been updated more frequently, with human rights organizations increasingly added to the list. Cooperation with such organizations can result in fines or criminal prosecution for Russian residents. In 2025, OVD-Info learned of 240 cases under the relevant article of the Criminal Code.
In 2025, repression affected virtually all segments of the population – from human rights activists and independent journalists to doctors and military personnel. Both legal and informal forms of pressure are intensifying. Once in custody, many persecuted individuals are denied medical care, tortured and in other ways treated inhumanely. People who have managed to emigrate and avoided jail time with their sentence also experience constant pressure from the state – with property and financial restrictions and, in some cases, deprivation of citizenship.
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