Rafael Mamedov is a political prisoner
A student from Murmansk has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on charges of participating in a terrorist organisation and of high treason for administering the ‘Free Lapland’ Telegram channel
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Rafael Mamedov a political prisoner. Mamedov was convicted on a charge of ‘participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation’ for administering a Telegram channel and writing analytical articles. Mamedov’s criminal prosecution violated his rights to freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand that Mamedov be released immediately and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What are the charges against Rafael Mamedov?
Rafael Mamedov is a student at the Faculty of Digital Sociology at Murmansk Arctic University and an active player on the faculty team in the quiz show, ‘What? Where? When?’
On 15 May 2025, Mamedov was detained on charges of participating in a terrorist organisation (Article 205.5, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the prosecution, he was a member of the Free Lapland organisation, which is part of the Forum of Free Post-Russian States. Both Free Lapland and the Forum of Free Post-Russian States have been designated as terrorist organisations in Russia. The security services view their aim to be ‘the violent liquidation of Russian statehood, achieved through the use of terrorist tactics.’
The charges against Mamedov are based on testimony which he gave immediately after FSB officers removed him from a psychiatric hospital where he had been receiving treatment following a suicide attempt.
Mamedov’s publications on the web page of the Alliance ‘Coalition of Indigenous Peoples’ which the FSB sees as part of the Forum of Free Post-Russian States is considered to be evidence of his participation in the terrorist organisation. Later, the same publications were used by the FSB to charge Mamedov with high treason (Article 275, CC RF).
On 27 May 2026, Rafael Mamedov was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.
Why do we consider Rafael Mamedov a political prisoner?
There is no legal basis for the designation of the Forum of Free Post-Russian States as a terrorist organisation. The Forum is not a single organisation but a peaceful platform for holding conferences involving representatives of various initiatives and parliamentarians from different states. It was created for debate and cooperation, not for terrorist activity.
At the same time, human rights activists have calculated that 68 organisations, declared by the security forces to be participants in the Forum of Free Post-Russian States and subsequently banned, simply do not exist. The designation of the Forum as a terrorist organisation is on a par with designations of the ‘AUE Subculture’, the ‘International LGBT Movement’ and the ‘International Satanist Movement’ as extremist organisations.
The designation of non-existent organisations and movements as extremist or terrorist allows the security services to prosecute an unlimited number of people for involvement in them.
The Free Lapland movement does not exist either. There was merely a Telegram channel of that name administered by Mamedov. The channel published material on the history and traditions of the peoples of northern Russia, as well as commentary on current events from the perspective of their interests.
Most likely, Rafael Mamedov’s prosecution is retribution for his anti-war stance. The case file quotes his words: ‘I condemn the actions of the Russian military and the Russian government. I advocate the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory, and I also believe that the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, should be removed from office.’
A detailed description of Rafael Mamedov’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Rafael Mamedov at the following address:
RU:
Российская Федерация, 183027, г. Мурманск, ул. Радищева, д. 32, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Мурманской области, Мамедов Рафаэль Исмат оглы, 2002 г. р.
EN:
Rafael Ismat ogly Mamedov (born 2002), Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Murmansk Oblast, 32 Radishcheva Street, Murmansk, 183027, Russia.
You can also send emails via F-Pismo (for payment with Russian bank cards), 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.
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