Maria Bontsler is a political prisoner
A 65-year-old defence lawyer faces up to eight years’ imprisonment on charges of collusion with foreigners
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Maria Bontsler a political prisoner. Bontsler is being prosecuted, on a charge of ‘collusion with a representative of a foreign organisation in activities knowingly directed against the security of the Russian Federation,’ for allegedly providing a security officer of an unnamed ‘unfriendly’ country with information about Russian security officers. Bontsler’s prosecution is connected with her legal work and violates her right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Maria Bontsler and that all criminal charges against her be dropped.
Who is Maria Bontsler and what are the charges against her?
Maria Bontsler is a well-known lawyer from Kaliningrad. She has defended political prisoners and civil society activists.
On 28 May 2025, her home was searched and she was detained. On the way to a temporary detention facility, the law enforcement agents unlocked her phone by forcing her finger onto the sensor. The following day the 65-year-old was remanded in custody.
According to the investigative authorities, between August and September 2024, Bontsler provided a security officer of an unnamed ‘unfriendly’ state with information about employees of a government security service, which had become known to her in her professional capacity. As Novaya Gazeta reported, ‘indirect evidence may indicate that the case against Bontsler is based on the testimony of one of her potential clients, to whom she may have spoken’ about officers of the regional FSB department, against whom she had earlier filed complaints in connection with the possible use of torture against her clients.
Bontsler has been charged with collusion with a representative of a foreign organisation in activities known to be directed against the security of the Russian Federation (Article 275.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). She faces up to eight years’ imprisonment if convicted.
Why do we consider Maria Bontsler a political prisoner?
The offence of ‘collusion’ was introduced into the Russian Criminal Code in July 2022 as yet another tool to be used against critics of the regime. The law’s provisions do not meet the principle of legal certainty and criminalise any communication between Russians and foreigners. It provides for punishment, not for concrete actions, but merely for an assumed intention to ‘assist’ in some ill-defined ‘activity.’ This article of the Criminal Code must be rescinded, all related convictions quashed, and ongoing prosecutions dropped.
Information about law enforcement officers involved in a criminal case is not secret. Bontsler was entitled in law to pass such information to her clients or potential clients. The transfer of such information is not in itself a criminal offence and remains within the framework of the legitimate professional activity of a lawyer.
Maria Bontsler’s prosecution is retaliation by the authorities for her work as a lawyer and is intended to bring that work to an end. That a female lawyer of her age has been remanded in custody on trumped-up charges is particularly shocking.
A detailed description of Maria Bontsler’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 Maria Bontsler at the following address:
RU: 236022, г. Калининград, ул. Ушакова, д. 2-4, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Калининградской области, Бонцлер Мария Владимировна, 1960 г. р.
EN: Maria Vladimirovna Bontsler (born 1960), Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Kaliningrad Oblast, 2-4 Ushakova Street, Kaliningrad, 236022, Russia.
You can also send an email using ZT (for payment with all bank cards), OVD-Info 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.
