07 Aug, 2025

Eight defendants in the case of the Crimean Bridge bombing are political prisoners

They have been sentenced to life imprisonment for alleged involvement in the explosion on 8 October 2022

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international criteria, considers Artyom Azatyan, Georgiy Azatyan, Oleg Antipov, Aleksandr Bylin, Volodymyr Zlob, Roman Solomko, Artur Terchanyan and Dmitry Tyazhyolykh are political prisoners. The eight men were convicted of committing a terrorist act and illegal trafficking and smuggling of explosive devices by an organised group. Their prosecution violated their right to a fair trial. We demand their immediate release and that all criminal charges against them be dropped.

What are the charges against the eight men?

Eight men — Artyom Azatyan, Georgiy Azatyan, Oleg Antipov, Aleksandr Bylin, Volodymyr Zlob, Roman Solomko, Artur Terchanyan and Dmitry Tyazhyolykh — stand accused of participating in the bombing of the Crimean Bridge on 8 October 2022. They have been charged with terrorism (Article 205, Part 3, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), illegal acquisition, transfer, storage and transportation of an explosive device (Article 222.1, Part 4), and smuggling of an explosive device (Article 226.1, Part 3).

According to the investigative authorities, businessmen Oleg Antipov, Aleksandr Bylin, Volodymyr Zlob (a citizen of Ukraine) and Georgiy Azatyan, lawyer Artyom Azatyan, farmer Roman Solomko (a citizen of both Ukraine and Moldova) and driver Artur Terchanyan (a citizen of Armenia) organised the delivery of explosives to the Crimean Bridge. The explosives were hidden in a truck in a batch of polyethylene film. The investigative authorities claimed the defendants had successively passed this cargo to each other, storing it in a warehouse, accompanying and transporting it. Another defendant, Dmitry Tyazhyolykh, did not know any of the other defendants, but simply provided communication services to the alleged but unidentified ‘organiser of the terrorist attack.’

None of the suspects admitted guilt. They all insisted they had been doing their usual jobs and had not known explosives had been hidden in the cargo. After the explosion on the bridge, the defendants themselves took the initiative to contact the FSB and tell what they knew. For some time, they even stayed in a hotel at their own expense so they could give testimony. However, from 12 to 14 October 2022, they were all detained on suspicion of participating in the organisation of the explosion and taken into custody.

On 27 November 2025, they were all convicted of committing a terrorist act and illegal trafficking of explosive devices by an organised group. Solomko and Terchanyan were also convicted of smuggling explosive devices by an organised group. All eight of them were sentenced to life imprisonment and fines from 500,000 to 700,000 roubles.

Why do we consider the eight defendants political prisoners?

Not one of the eight defendants admitted their guilt either during the investigation or in court. The defence claims that Solomko, Zlob, Antipov, the Azatyan brothers, Terchanyan and Bylin did not know that the cargo contained explosives and were simply doing their jobs. Tyazhyolykh, who was not acquainted with them, simply provided communication services to a person whose identity remains unknown.

The investigative authorities consider that the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Vasyl Maliuk, organised the terrorist attack. Maliuk himself confirmed in an interview that, during the operation, those who took part in the delivery of the cargo were not aware of the hidden explosives or the cargo’s destination.

The investigative authorities have presented no convincing evidence that the defendants knew the cargo contained explosives or intended to blow up the Crimean Bridge. The defendants’ actions, both before and after the explosion, do not indicate any connection with the Ukrainian Security Services. On the contrary, after the explosion, they themselves went to the FSB to help with the investigation.

The prosecution in the case of the Crimean Bridge is clearly politically motivated and based on unfounded assumptions by the investigative authorities. In a situation where the real organisers and perpetrators are unavailable to the Russian authorities, the investigative authorities decided to stage a show trial of individuals who, by chance, fell into their hands.

A detailed description of the cases of the eight defendants 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 the eight defendants at the following addresses:

RU:

344064, Ростовская область, г. Ростов-на-Дону, ул. Тоннельная, д. 4, ФКУ СИЗО-5 ГУФСИН России по Ростовской области,

Азатьяну Артёму Самвеловичу, 1992 г. р.
Антипову Олегу Александровичу, 1989 г. р.
Тяжёлых Дмитрию Викторовичу, 1984 г. р.

344022, Ростовская область, г. Ростов-на-Дону, ул. Максима Горького, д. 219, ФКУ СИЗО-1 ГУФСИН России по Ростовской области

Азатьяну Георгию Самвеловичу, 1989 г. р.
Былину Александру Геннадьевичу, 1978 г. р.
Злобу Владимиру Васильевичу, 1987 г. р.
Соломко Роману Ивановичу, 1971 г. р.
Терчаняну Артуру Камоевичу, 1985 г. р.

EN:

Remand Prison No. 5, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Rostov Oblast, 4 Tunnelnaya Ulitsa, Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, 344064, Russia,

Artyom Samvelovich Azatyan (born 1992)
Oleg Aleksandrovich Antipov (born 1989)
Dmitry Viktorovich Tyazhyolykh (born 1984)

Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Rostov Oblast, 219 Maksima Gorkogo Ulitsa, Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, 344022, Russia,