Arseny Turbin is a political prisoner

A 15-year-old high school student has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for distributing leaflets criticising Putin

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Arseny Turbin a political prisoner. He has been convicted on a charge of participation in a terrorist organisation for writing to the Telegram bot of the Ukrainian-based Freedom of Russia Legion and for putting anti-Putin leaflets in mailboxes. Turbin’s criminal prosecution and conviction violate his rights to freedom of expression and dissemination of information. We demand Turbin’s immediate release and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.

What were the charges against Arseny Turbin?

On 29 August 2023, FSB officers searched the apartment where Arseny Turbin and his family lived in the town of Livny in Oryol Oblast in western Russia. It transpired that the high school student was suspected of participation in a terrorist organisation (Article 205.5, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code).

On 5 September, Arseny Turbin was detained, and the next day placed under house arrest while being permitted to attend his high school. On 31 May 2024, Turbin’s pre-trial conditions were changed to a ban on certain actions.

According to the investigative authorities, under the influence of opposition publications, Arseny Turbin, then 14 years old, had ‘adopted radical extremist political views.’ In early June 2023, he allegedly wrote to the Telegram bot of the Ukrainian-based Freedom of Russia Legion and completed an application form to join. According to the FSB, in this way, Turbin joined the Freedom of Russia Legion, which has been designated a terrorist organisation in the Russian Federation and undertook either to travel to Ukraine or to assist ‘terrorists’ while remaining in Russia. Allegedly, it was as a member of the ‘terrorist organisation’ that Turbin distributed leaflets entitled ‘Do you need such a president?’ in his neighbours’ mailboxes in June and July 2023.

Turbin claims that he did not join the Freedom of Russia Legion and that he distributed the leaflets on account of his own beliefs, not on anyone else’s instructions.

On 20 June 2024, Arseny Turbin was sentenced to five years in a penal colony for minors.

Why do we consider Turbin a political prisoner?

The investigative authorities charged the teenager with intending to organise terrorist attacks without any evidence. In fact, all that Arseny Turbin did was to distribute leaflets criticising Putin which he downloaded from the Internet. The prosecution alleged that these actions were ‘terrorist in nature,’ while the investigative authorities failed to prove any connection between the leaflets and the Freedom of Russia Legion.

Even if everyone who ever sent an email application form to the Freedom of Russia Legion were considered to have joined that organisation, there is no evidence of this in Turbin’s case. There is only correspondence in which Turbin says he is ready to ‘stick up leaflets and fight Putin’s propaganda,’ and his interlocutor invites him to fill out an application form.

At the request of a lawyer for the defence, a representative of the Freedom of Russia Legion stressed that only adults can join that organisation. It is also possible that the teenager corresponded not with the official bot of the Freedom of Russia Legion, but with a fake account run from a Russian IP address.

However, even if the teenager’s connection with the Freedom of Russia Legion were proven, this would not constitute a crime. We consider the ruling of the Russian Supreme Court that designated the Freedom of Russia Legion (a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces) a terrorist organisation as unlawful. The ruling was adopted, not on the basis of evidence of acts of terrorism, but solely on the grounds of criminal cases brought against Russian citizens for attempting to join the Freedom of Russia Legion and to disseminate information about it.

A detailed description of Arseny Turbin’s case and of our position is available on our website.

Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.

How can you help?

You can write to Arseny Turbin at the following address:

In Russian: 125130, г. Москва, ул. Выборгская, д. 20, ФКУ СИЗО-5 УФСИН России по г. Москве, Турбину Арсению 2008 г. р.

In English: Arseny Turbin (born 2008), Remand Prison No. 5, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the city of Moscow, 20 Vyborgskaya Street, Moscow, 125130, Russia.

You can send an email via Zonatelecom (for payment with Russian cards), PrisonMail (for other cards), or OVD-Info (free of charge).

Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the recipient.

You can donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.