Nadezhda Rossinskaya is a political prisoner
A volunteer from Belgorod, also known as Nadin Geisler, has been sentenced to 22 years in a penal colony for providing assistance to Ukrainians in the occupied territories
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Nadezhda Rossinskaya a political prisoner. Rossinskaya was convicted on charges of treason, incitement to actions threatening Russia’s security, and organising the financing of terrorism on the basis of a number of Instagram posts and for allegedly making monetary donations to the Azov Battalion. Rossinskaya’s criminal prosecution and conviction violated her rights to freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand the release of Nadezhda Rossinskaya and that all criminal charges against her be dropped.
Who is Nadezhda Rossinskaya and what were the charges against her?
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nadezhda Rossinskaya (Nadin Geisler), a model and animal rights activist from Belgorod, founded the volunteer movement ‘Army of Beauties.’ The movement evacuated people from frontline areas in Ukraine and delivered humanitarian aid there.
In the summer of 2022, Rossinskaya’s bank cards were blocked. Before they were blocked, she had received bank transfers accompanied by messages such as ‘This is for your coffin.’ In the autumn of 2022, unknown persons opened fire several times near the warehouse where the Army of Beauties stored humanitarian aid.
In May 2023, Rossinskaya left Russia, but returned at the end of January 2024. She was detained on 1 February 2024. The following day her home, as well as those of her parents and sister, were searched. Rossinskaya was remanded in custody.
Initially, Rossinskaya was charged with ‘inciting activities directed against state security (Article 280.4, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Subsequently, charges of treason (Article 275 CC RF) and organising the financing of terrorism (Article 205.1, Part 4, CC RF) were also brought. The investigative authorities claimed Rossinskaya ran an Instagram page that published calls to support the Ukrainian armed forces and the Azov Battalion, and that she had asked a friend to transfer sums of money to a related account. This concerned five bank transfers totalling 11,650 hryvnia (approximately $320).
On 20 June 2025, a court in Belgorod sentenced Rossinskaya to 22 years’ imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, with two years’ probation on release and a three-year ban on administering websites, as well as a fine of 320,000 roubles.
Why do we consider Nadezhda Rossinskaya a political prisoner?
The charges against Nadezhda Rossinskaya were unfounded. The verdict failed to set out the actions which formed the basis for the charges. A key element of the prosecution’s case — the ownership of the Instagram account — was not proved by either technical data or other convincing evidence.
There were no grounds for the charge of organising the financing of terrorism. The Azov Battalion is an official unit of the Ukrainian National Guard and the decision to designate it as a terrorist organisation in Russia is unlawful. Therefore, assistance to this unit cannot be regarded as financing terrorism.
The charges of treason and incitement to activities directed against state security also lacked a legal basis. Even if Rossinskaya had indeed called for the Ukrainian armed forces to be supported, her actions could not be regarded as a crime. Assistance to Ukraine in repelling aggression is not directed against Russia’s security. The threat to Russia’s security comes from the war itself, launched by the Russian authorities, not from humanitarian activities or donations from private individuals.
A detailed description of Nadezhda Rossinskaya’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Nadezhda Rossinskaya at the following address:
RU:
658390, Алтайский край, с. Шипуново, ул. Заводская, д. 48А, ФКУ ИК-6 УФСИН России по Алтайскому краю, Россинская Надежда Алексеевна, 1995 г. р.
EN:
Nadezhda Alekseevna Rossinskaya (born 1995), Penal Colony No. 6, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Altai Krai, 48 A Zavodskaya Street, Shipunovo, Altai Krai, 658390, Russia.
You can also send emails via ZT (for payment with all bank cards) 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.
