Ariadna Litvinova is a political prisoner
A former police college student deported from Turkey is facing criminal charges for ‘discrediting’ the Russian army over an anti-war protest
Ariadna Litvinova studied at a police college in Moscow. She had not been interested in politics, but Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine outraged her, and she left the college during her final year in protest.
On 24 February 2025, the anniversary of the invasion, Litvinova staged an anti-war protest in St. Petersburg. During the night, she went to the outdoor photo exhibition Together Towards Victory and spray-painted ten display panels with the slogans ‘Murderers’, ‘Peace to Ukraine’, and ‘Freedom for Prisoners’.
Later that day, she was detained by officers from the Centre for Combating Extremism. The following day, she was fined 50,000 roubles under the administrative offence of “discrediting” the Russian army and then placed in pre-trial detention on charges of vandalism motivated by political hatred (Article 214, Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code). A few weeks later, her detention was replaced with restrictions on certain activities, and during the summer she managed to leave for Turkey, where her father lived.
Russian authorities subsequently placed Litvinova on the wanted list and reclassified the case as a criminal charge of repeatedly discrediting the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (Article 280.3, Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code).
In May 2026, Litvinova had a conflict with her father. He called the police, who discovered that she had violated Turkey’s immigration rules because she had been unable to obtain a residence permit. She was placed in a deportation centre, and on 4 July 2026 she was deported to Russia. Upon arrival, she was detained and placed in a pre-trial detention centre in St. Petersburg. She now faces up to seven years’ imprisonment.
The offence of “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces is inherently unlawful, and any prosecution under it is therefore illegal and politically motivated. Moreover, Litvinova had already been fined under the Code of Administrative Offences for the same inscriptions. Subjecting her to criminal prosecution for the same act constitutes a serious violation of fundamental legal principles.
Ariadna Litvinova’s actions were an act of protest against Russia’s aggressive war against independent Ukraine. They deserve public recognition, not criminal prosecution.
A detailed description of Ariadna Litvinova’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Ariadna Litvinova at the following address:
Ru:
195009, г. Санкт-Петербург, ул. Арсенальная, д. 11, ФКУ СИЗО-5 ГУФСИН России по г. Санкт-Петербургу и Ленинградской области, Литвиновой Ариадне Валерьевне, 2001 г. р.
En:
Ariadna Valeryevna Litvinova (born 2001), Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 5, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for St. Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, 11 Arsenalnaya St., St. Petersburg, 195009, Russia.
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Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.
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