Sergei Ganin is a political prisoner
A construction worker from Nizhny Novgorod has been sentenced to nine years in a penal colony for alleged participation in the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps in 2015
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Sergei Ganin a political prisoner. Ganin was convicted of ‘participating in an illegal armed group on the territory of a foreign state for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation’ because investigators believed he participated in the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps and fought against the armed groups of the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ [‘DPR’]. Ganin’s prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Sergei Ganin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What were the charges against Sergei Ganin?
Law enforcement officers detained Sergei Ganin in February 2023. The investigative authorities alleged that, in 2014, Ganin had travelled to Ukraine to join the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps and, until 2015, participated in hostilities against the armed formations of the ‘DPR.’ He was charged with participation in an ‘illegal armed group for purposes against the interests of the Russian Federation’ (Article 208, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
Ganin himself denied involvement with Ukrainian volunteer formations, saying that at that time he had been working on building sites in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod.
In January 2025, a court in Nizhny Novgorod sentenced Sergei Ganin to nine years in a general regime penal colony.
Why do we consider Sergei Ganin a political prisoner?
On the basis of the case materials, the charge brought against Sergei Ganin of participation in an illegal armed group is unfounded. First, even if Ganin had been a member of a volunteer formation, his actions could not be classified under this offence. The volunteer units were not illegal under Ukrainian law, and regulating their legal status is the exclusive competence of Ukraine.
Second, the wording of the charge regarding actions ‘contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation’ violates the principle of legal certainty, since such ‘interests’ are nowhere defined in law. The objectives of the Ukrainian army, in which Sergei Ganin was effectively accused of participating, do not contradict Russia’s interests. It is Russia’s use of force against Ukraine that contradicts both international law and Russia’s own interests.
Third, the evidence of Ganin’s participation in the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps is unconvincing. The prosecution relied on the testimony of classified witnesses and prisoners that contradicted the facts, contained errors and was not corroborated by independent sources. The poor quality of the evidence was such that even the court excluded a significant part of the episodes from the charges. At the same time, numerous testimonies by Ganin’s relatives and colleagues claiming he was in Russia in 2014–2015 appear far more reliable.
A detailed description of Sergei Ganin’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Sergei Ganin at the following address:
RU:
612744, Кировская область, г. Омутнинск, ул. Трудовых резервов, д. 125, ФКУ ИК-17 УФСИН России по Кировской области, Ганин Сергей Сергеевич, 1987 г. р.
EN:
Sergei Sergeevich Ganin (born 1987), Penal Colony No. 17, Federal Penitentiary Service for Kirov Oblast, 125 Trudovykh Rezervov Street, Omutninsk, Kirov Oblast, 612744, Russia.
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