Yevgeny Chafonov is a political prisoner

A resident of Novorossiysk has been sentenced to 30 months in a penal colony on a charge of incitement of terrorism for a video he recorded while intoxicated

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Yevgeny Chafonov a political prisoner. Chafonov was prosecuted and convicted on a charge of public incitement of terrorism for a video message posted on his Telegram channel. Chafonov’s criminal prosecution and conviction violate his right to fair trial. We demand Yevgeny Chafonov’s immediate release and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.

What were the charges against Yevgeny Chafonov?

On the evening of 24 August 2022, Yevgeny Chafonov, a resident of Novorossiysk, posted a video message on his Telegram channel. In the video, intoxicated Chafonov uses obscene language, threatens passersby, and calls for the Ukrainian armed forces to launch a strike against the city embankment where he then was.

The day after the video was posted, the Russian FSB detained Chafonov. He was forced to record an apology on video and was then remanded in custody on a charge of public incitement of terrorism using the Internet (Article 205.2, Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code).

On 13 April 2023, a military court convicted Chafonov, sentencing him to 30 months in a general-regime penal colony. Shortly thereafter, he was added to the Russian official list of terrorists.

Why do we consider Chafonov a political prisoner?

Despite the extremely offensive nature of Chafonov’s video recording, it should not serve as grounds for a criminal prosecution on a charge of incitement of terrorism.

The form and content of Chafonov’s intoxicated statements suggest they were made spontaneously and without thought. It is clear that the call to launch a strike against the Novorossiysk city embankment posed no real danger since the Ukrainian military take no account of Chafonov’s opinion when determining their targets. Even if the Ukrainian army had launched such a strike, it would be classified as military action in violation of international humanitarian law, not an act of terrorism.

Chafonov’s statements are repellent, but they should not serve as grounds for criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Possibly, they could be classified as an offence under administrative law, warranting a fine or a short jail term. It is also clear that had he made similar calls for Russian forces to bomb Ukraine, Chafonov would not have been prosecuted.

A detailed description of Yevgeny Chafonov’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 donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.