21-27 April 2026
by Anna Karetnikova
Source: Facebook
21 April 2026
Unfortunately, I was right. ☹
According to media reports, new information indicates that Vegana Khristolyuba was found hanged in a punishment isolation cell (SHIZO). This was reported by his father, who visited the penal colony and met with the investigator today.
A criminal case has been opened on the grounds of negligence. Details have not yet been disclosed. According to relatives, the CCTV cameras in the SHIZO may not have been functioning.
The father of the deceased does not believe the suicide explanation, stating that his son had previously said he was prepared to go on a hunger strike if he came under pressure.
The memorial service is scheduled for 21 April 2026. On the same day at 12:30, a cremation will take place at the Voronezh crematorium, in accordance with the will of the political prisoner.
Source: Facebook
21 April 2026
At this point, it’s all the same whether you stand there with a placard or publish books.
The CEO of Eksmo has been detained. Searches are being carried out at the offices of the publishing house in a case involving ‘extremism,’ according to REN TV.
Law enforcement officers have detained the CEO, Evgeny Kapyev, as reported by REN TV.
Incidentally, this is the publishing house that issued my first books…
Source: Facebook
21 April 2026
Aleksandr Bastrykin has ordered a review of the books by children’s poet Grigory Oster for the presence of questionable educational content. Bastrykin must know something.
Source: Facebook
22 April 2026
I found a minute to look at the proposed easing of legislation on prosecutions under Article 228 on ‘drugs’, a draft submitted by the Supreme Court. The general idea is to reduce the maximum sentences under Parts 2 and 3 (‘Illegal trafficking of narcotics in large and especially large quantities’) of Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code from 10 to five years and from 15 to 10 years respectively. As for Part 1, the idea is that those in possession of small amounts might not be imprisoned at all. Treatment is what’s needed instead.
At first glance, it seems like a humane breakthrough. But Kommersant writes that, according to its sources, the government only plans to approve it partially, excluding the amendments to Parts 2 and 3. And in that case, nothing humane really remains because in my 14 years working in a SIZO pre-trial detention centre, I have only encountered a handful of people charged under Part 1. Why sentence someone under Part 1 when you can weigh the substance a bit more carefully and charge them under Part 2 or 3? People worked, put in the effort, caught the person… what Part 1 are we even talking about?
And we mustn’t forget that there is also Article 228.1, the key article – essentially the same thing, but with intent to distribute. Intent to distribute is established either by how the substance was packaged, or by what you yourself blurted out in a panic to the operatives and investigators, or by what witnesses said – your friends, who may also happen to be informants for law enforcement, having previously been caught in a similar situation and given a choice: go to prison or set you up. So reclassifying an Article 228 charge under 228.1 is a matter of a couple days’ ‘work’. And it seems that no changes are being proposed to Article 228.1.
Another issue is that even proposing such an initiative in the current unforgiving climate seems somewhat untimely. It’s not as though Eva Merkacheva persuaded the Supreme Court that tens of thousands of people, including very young adults, who make up the majority of the prison population – being imprisoned isn’t a great outcome. Maybe she did have influence, but imagine how strong the lobbying would have to be to deprive the drug-fighting law enforcement officers of their livelihood! It’s like their entire grocery basket being suddenly taken away.
I’m ashamed to say that for a moment I even thought, as part of some profitable intra-system deals, that trends were shifting, and that the popular go-to article would no longer be 228, but 282, along with charges like sabotage, terrorism, and treason. Maybe the resources freed up would be redirected there? In principle, the idea is conceivable. But for now, it seems that this is all turning out to be much ado about nothing. We’ll keep watching how things develop. And it would, of course, be interesting in hearing the opinions of other lawyers.
Source: Facebook
22 April 2026
This morning, various channels and programmes have been discussing the topic of repression (including in connection with the newly released ‘Repression Barometer,’ which I recommend to everyone). I talk about this mechanism on Vot Tak; the link is [here]. This morning, I heard Maksim Kurnikov on the Breakfast Show say that the repressive system, and the work it carries out, is neither balanced nor controlled. I disagree. It starts to ‘devour its own children’ precisely when it goes out of control. At its current scale, however, it is quite manageable, and there are actors involved beyond just the FSB. It needs to be arranged so that things are convenient for colleagues and that no one is left without work.
Look at it this way. Our Barometer shows that, compared to last year, the number of people subjected to repression has remained at the same level. And this is exactly what I always say: if there are no new inputs or special directives, then this number will remain unchanged. Our reference point is the same period of last year. There’s no need to catch either more or fewer enemies of the state than before – this is the kind of healthy stability and predictability that leadership will praise. And everyone is satisfied: judges know how many cases they will have to hear, prison service [FSIN] officers know how many prisoners will arrive, and so on.
But suddenly it turns out that it is not the number of judges, FSIN staff, or prison places that is limited. It’s the resource of ‘enemies of the state’ themselves that is limited. Some have already been imprisoned, others have left or gone quiet, people are more cautious online (and in any case, the Internet itself might even be banned – what a nuisance! Where, then, will the Centre for Combating Extremism and the FSB find careless statements by users in order to open new criminal cases? And where will they carry out their usual provocations, pretending to be Azov, the Russian Volunteer Corps, or the Free Russia Legion? On MAKS, perhaps?). It is clear that the reserves may begin to run out. Who do you imprison so as not to disrupt the performance indicators compared to last year? To be clear, completely uninvolved people are still not being imprisoned, at least for now. There has to be at least some contact with a provocateur, or some denunciation written against you.
And so, as I see it, all these absurd designations of various existing and non-existent ‘international movements’ as being terrorist, extremist, or undesirable are not only an attempt to stigmatize, intimidate, and target LGBT people, publishers, and indigenous peoples (a wave of cases has started), as well as fans of Memorial, and even so-called Satanists, but also serve to create new areas of work, in a kind of restructuring. Right now there is a wave of arrests for donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation [FBK], and after that another wave will come, for donations to Memorial, for example. And then when one pool of potential targets starts to empty, you simply open another – and there exists new scope for operational work. Legislators have played their part, the Supreme Court has helped, and the Prosecutor General’s Office hasn’t forgotten that their colleagues need work.
In the end, it all turns out looking rather orderly and balanced. And, as a reminder, a broader scope of repression is not necessary at this current stage. You don’t need to imprison a hundred thousand doctors, influencers, bloggers, or tractor drivers to intimidate society. You need only imprison a hundred of each type of ‘wrongdoer’. The rest is done by the Internet and the spread of information there. Well, at least while it still exists in Russia.
And there is no need to build new prisons. For now.
Source: Facebook
24 April 2026
The first comment contains a link to a lengthy article on hunger strikes published by Verstka, featuring my own commentary and many other interesting ones.
‘”From the inside, it’s simple: you have no other means of struggle.” How political prisoners go on hunger strike and what the consequences are.’ Verstka, 24 April 2026
Verstka analysed hunger strikes declared in prison since 2005 and found out what people who refuse food, and sometimes even water, go through.
Source: Facebook
24 April 2026
If the conclusions in this article are correct, then this really does mark a whole new level of aggression in the ongoing repression …
‘All contact has been lost with four members of the Scarlet Swan group; one of them may have been detained by the FSB in connection with an attempted assassination of the heads of the Federal Communications Agency,’ Mediazona, 24 April 2026
Source: Facebook
25 April 2026
It has emerged that another political prisoner, Oleg Tyryshkin, jailed for online comments, has died. His health had been a cause for concern from the beginning of his prosecution. A link to his story can be found [here].
On 27 March 2025, Boris Kozhevnikov, a judge at the Military Court of Appeal, heard Tyryshkin’s appeal and, unsurprisingly, upheld the original sentence. During the hearing, a recess was called when Tyryshkin felt unwell. Tyryshkin lay down on the floor of his cell and a medical officer at the remand prison who examined him declared there were ‘no indications that the prisoner was unwell.’ At the same time, Judge Kozhevnikov stated: ‘Your actions may be interpreted as a refusal to participate in the court hearing. Aggravating circumstances, like feigning illness, do not constitute grounds for non-participation.”
Source: Facebook
26 April 2026
Meanwhile, the Zavatta travelling circus paid a visit to our little town. It’s a family circus. It’s fascinating to watch the performers and think about their lives. The circus life really is quite an unusual one…
Source: Facebook
27 April 2026
All the same it is strange to demand that members of the Russian PACE platform state whether they agree with the position of other members of the platform, when none of these members were elected by anyone, but were appointed by PACE itself. It is no less strange to criticise the media for the fact that, whilst there are good PACE members, they are, in the view of those asking the questions, giving prominence to the views of some who are not so good. It’s obvious to me that some people hold certain views and not other views, not because they are members of the platform, but because they, for example, represent indigenous peoples who yearn (or, in their view, yearn) to be decolonised. And this includes, of course, a return to national traditions. And some of these traditions, for sure, do not allow for the equal existence of LGBT+ people, and women are traditionally respected there too … but, unfortunately, not their freedom of choice. And yes, to put it mildly, the anti-Zionist element there is also quite something.
Well, none of this appeared only now; it was there before (don’t think I’m talking about every single ethnic group without exception, but it exists in terms of traditions). And generally speaking, we all need to be aware of this, and perhaps European officials too, not so we can criticise and argue, but so we can view the situation more soberly. Attitudes to the war and Ukraine were the main focus when the platform was being drawn up, and it couldn’t have been any other way, of course. But on many other issues, differences are beginning to emerge. This is understandable and to be expected.
Source: Facebook
