Nikita Belikov is a political prisoner
A resident of Stavropol has been sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on a charge of participating in the activities of the Azov Battalion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Nikita Belikov a political prisoner. Belikov was convicted of participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation for sending a video about joining the Azov Battalion and photographs of buildings in Stavropol to an alleged representative of this Ukrainian unit. Belikov’s criminal prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand that Belikov be released immediately and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What were the charges against Nikita Belikov?
Nikita Belikov is believed to have been arrested in January or February 2023 on a charge of participating in the activities of a terrorist organisation (Article 205.5, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to the prosecution, Belikov recorded a video about joining the Azov Battalion and sent it via messenger to a representative of this Ukrainian unit. He also sent that person photographs of the Stavropol Arena sports and training centre and Stavropol City Duma.
On 6 October 2023, a military court sentenced Nikita Belikov to 11 years’ imprisonment, with the first three years to be served in a cell-type prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony.
Why do we consider Nikita Belikov a political prisoner?
Even if Nikita Belikov had sent photos and videos to the Azov Battalion, this would not constitute a crime. We consider the court’s decision to designate the Azov Battalion a terrorist organisation unlawful. This unit is part of the Ukrainian National Guard and carries out combat missions on orders of the country’s military command. Moreover, the provisions of anti-terrorism legislation are not applicable to the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, it is not possible to join an armed group remotely merely by sending a video via a messaging app.
Most likely, Belikov was the victim of a sting operation by Russian intelligence agents. This is evidenced by the request to send a video about his joining the unit and the kind of tasks he was given. These tasks were meaningless, as the photographs of the urban objects in question were freely available. Such sting operations are illegal and cannot be used as a basis for prosecution.
A detailed description of Nikita Belikov’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can send letters to Nikita Belikov at the following address:
RU:
600020, г. Владимир, ул. Большая Нижегородская, д. 67, ФКУ Т-2 УФСИН России по Владимирской области, Беликов Никита Владимирович, 1988 г. р.
EN:
Nikita Vladimirovich Belikov (born 1988), Prison No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service for the Vladimir Oblast, 67 Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya Street, Vladimir, 600020, 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.
