Dmitry Polunin is a political prisoner
He was jailed for 140 days on administrative-law charges before being convicted of espionage on a classified charge and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of unknown length
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Dmitry Polunin a political prisoner. Polunin was convicted on a criminal charge of collusion with a foreign state. The court refused to provide any further information about the nature of the charge or the sentence imposed. Polunin’s prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Dmitry Polunin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What were the charges against Dmitry Polunin?
The precise nature of the charges against Dmitry Polunin, who comes from Anapa, is unknown. Before his formal arrest on criminal charges, courts across various districts in Krasnodar Krai jailed him on 10 occasions for administrative-law offences. Between September 2023 and January 2024, Polunin spent a total of 140 consecutive days in jail on such charges – a record for so-called ‘roundabout’ jail terms. On several occasions, he was charged with petty hooliganism (for swearing in public) or failing to obey lawful police orders (for refusing to present documents). He may have been jailed on other occasions about which we have no information.
We do not know the exact date when Polunin was detained on criminal charges. However, on 21 June 2024, his trial began in camera, and on 10 July he was convicted on charges of collusion with a foreign state or foreign organisation (Article 275.1 of the Russian Criminal Code). All details of the trial, including the verdict and sentence, have been effectively classified. The press office of Krasnodar Krai Court even declined to release information about Polunin’s defence lawyer, stating that ‘the secrecy extends to all information about the case.’
Why do we consider Dmitry Polunin a political prisoner?
Regardless of the specific charges against Dmitry Polunin, his prosecution on a charge of collusion with a foreign state was unlawful. This offence was introduced into the Russian Criminal Code in July 2022 and is yet another tool used by the authorities to crack down on ‘internal enemies’ amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The provisions of the article of the Criminal Code do not meet the principle of legal certainty and fail to define what constitutes ‘collusion.’ In effect, the article criminalises any communication between Russian citizens and foreigners. The article should be repealed, and all criminal cases based on it dismissed.
The refusal to disclose details about the nature of the charges, verdict and sentence violates both Russian and international law. The closure of court hearings and the ban on publishing a judicial decision contradict the principles of openness and transparency of justice. This limits the right of the accused to a defence and to a fair trial.
The circumstances surrounding Polunin’s detention and trial indicate his prosecution was politically motivated. His jailing for almost five months on fabricated administrative-law charges was intended to give the authorities time to think up grounds for a criminal case. The fact that ultimately he was prosecuted on the unlawful charge of collusion with a foreign state further suggests the authorities had no evidence of any actual crime. He was prosecuted solely for his communication with foreigners, which posed no real threat to society.
A detailed description of Dmitry Polunin’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.
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