Aleksandra Byzova is a political prisoner

A resident of Dmitrov, near Moscow, has been sentenced to 18 months in a low security penal colony for ‘discrediting’ the Russian army

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Aleksandra Byzova a political prisoner. Byzova was convicted on a charge of repeatedly ‘discrediting’ the Russian armed forces for posts she made online. Aleksandra Byzova’s criminal prosecution and conviction violated her rights to freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand the release of Aleksandra Byzova and that all criminal charges against her be dropped.

What were the charges against Aleksandra Byzova?

On 7 May 2024, Aleksandra Byzova was fined on two administrative-law charges of ‘discrediting’ the Russian army and of disseminating information ‘insulting the state and its authorities.’ The grounds for the fines were online posts in which Byzova criticised Putin and the war against Ukraine. In court, Byzova said she did not believe that her posts discredited the army in any way. She was fined 60,000 roubles.

This administrative-law case was subsequently claimed to provide the basis for a criminal charge to be brought against Aleksandra Byzova for ‘repeated discrediting’ of the Russian army (Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). However, we do not know the specific grounds for this criminal charge.

On 18 July 2025, Aleksandra Byzova was sentenced to serve 18 months in a low security penal colony.

Why do we consider Aleksandra Byzova a political prisoner?

The article of the Russian Criminal Code on repeated ‘discrediting’ of the army was adopted into law after the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine to prosecute those who spoke out against the war. The article effectively prohibits any criticism of the Russian authorities or the war against Ukraine, in violation of the right to freedom of expression, and contradicts the fundamental principle of legal certainty. This article must be rescinded, all related criminal convictions, including that of Aleksandra Byzova, quashed and ongoing prosecutions dropped.

Criticism of a war of aggression is beneficial to society and cannot be grounds for criminal prosecution, let alone imprisonment.

A detailed description of Aleksandra Byzova’s case and of our position is available on our website.

How can you help?

You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.