31 December 2025
by Political Prisoners. Memorial
Source: Facebook
The year 2025 saw further intensification of political repression by the Russian authorities. Over the course of the year, the number of people deprived of liberty for politically motivated and unlawful reasons recorded in our database rose from 2,662 to 4,884, while the number of political prisoners on our lists increased from 803 to 1,268.
The severity of repression also increased this year: the proportion of more serious charges increased, sentences became longer, and torture became even more widespread.
By the end of the year, the proportion of charges under terrorism laws among the total number of new political criminal prosecutions had risen to 45%, and the proportion of charges of treason to 27%.
The authorities increasingly conceal information about political repression and make it difficult to access.
It has been a difficult year for organisations and initiatives opposing repression, with some ceasing their work and many scaling back their activities.
In such conditions, the demand for reliable information about those who have been imprisoned for political reasons, about ways to support them, and about legal and humanitarian assistance has grown steadily this year. We have tried to meet this demand and have been working to this end throughout the year. We have achieved a great deal.
The ruling regime in Russia has not ignored our project. In January 2025, the Russian Ministry of Justice added the project to the register of ‘foreign agents’. In August, a Russian court sentenced the project’s leader, Sergei Davidis, in absentia to six years’ imprisonment on charges of justifying terrorism for publicly supporting political prisoners.
We would like to thank our donors, partners, volunteers, the media, bloggers and everyone who supported the project in 2025. Unfortunately, with each passing year, the demand for our work increases, while at the same time facing ever greater difficulties. Nevertheless, our project team continues to adapt to changing realities, expanding and strengthening our support for political prisoners. This would not be possible without the active participation of our supporters, volunteers, and partners.
Thank you for your support. Freedom for all political prisoners!
Translated by Rights in Russia
