Aleksandr Kachkurkin is a political prisoner
An IT specialist with dual Ukrainian and Russian citizenship was deported from Kazakhstan to Russia where he was remanded in custody on a charge of treason
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Aleksandr Kachkurkin a political prisoner. Kachkurin is being prosecuted on a charge of treason for money transfers made to Ukraine. Kachkurin’s criminal prosecution violates his right to a fair trial. We demand the release of Aleksandr Kachkurkin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What is the charge against Aleksandr Kachkurkin?
Aleksandr Kachkurkin, a Ukrainian citizen, was born and grew up in Crimea. Following the annexation of the peninsula by Russia in 2014, while still a minor, Kachkurin also acquired Russian citizenship. After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kachkurkin moved to Kazakhstan where he lived in Almaty, working as an IT engineer and developer. It is reported that, amongst other things, he collaborated with OpenAI.
On 28 January 2026, Kachkurkin was detained in Almaty and charged with two trumped-up administrative-law offences: crossing the road in an unauthorised place and smoking in an enclosed space. A court then rapidly found Kachkurkin guilty on both counts and, despite the offences only carrying a fine, ordered his immediate expulsion from Kazakhstan on the grounds of ‘disrespect for the sovereignty’ of the country. Within a few hours, Kachkhurkin was taken to the airport and sent to Russia. Russian security forces detained him on the plane immediately after landing.
Kachkurkin was charged with treason in the form of ‘providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation’ (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), presumably a reference to alleged money transfers to Ukraine.
On 31 January 2026, a court in Moscow remanded Kachkhurkin in custody. He faces a sentence of up to life imprisonment if convicted.
Why do we consider Kachkhurkin a political prisoner?
Prosecutions for treason in the form of financial aid to a foreign state for making money transfers to Ukraine have become one of the most common ways of prosecuting Russians for their anti-war stance and support for a country that is a victim of Russian aggression.
It is not known what sums Kachkurkin transferred, nor when, nor to whom, nor how the prosecution intends to prove his guilt and intent. However, even if it is assumed the transfers he made were intended to aid the Ukrainian army, which is the action most often attributed to defendants in such cases, his actions do not constitute a criminal offence. Kachkurkin clearly did not harm Russia’s security, nor did he have the intent required by the law on treason.
It should be noted that while Kachkurkin is a Ukrainian citizen and a resident of Crimea, illegally annexed by the Russian Federation, the Russian authorities accuse him of treason for transferring money to his home country of Ukraine. At the same time, in 2014 Russia carried out what amounted to a forced passportisation in occupied Crimea.
The entire sequence of events is particularly disturbing: Kachkurkin was arrested on trumped-up charges in Almaty, subjected to a trial with no possibility of appeal, immediately deported following the trial, and arrested on the plane. This appears to have been a pre-planned FSB special operation, in which Kazakhstan police officers and judges took part.
A detailed description of Aleksandr Kachkurkin’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Aleksandr Kachkurkin at the following address:
RU:
111020, г. Москва, ул. Лефортовский вал, д. 5, ФКУ СИЗО-2 ФСИН России, Качкуркин Александр Михайлович, 2000 г. р.
EN:
Aleksandr Mikhailovich Kachkurkin (born 2000), Remand Prison No. 2 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, 5 Lefortovsky Val, Moscow, 111020, Russia.
You can also send emails via ZT (for payment with all bank cards) and Memorial-France (free of charge).
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
