Sergei Irin is a political prisoner
A Yandex programmer has been sentenced to 15 years in a strict regime penal colony on a charge of treason for donating to the Ukrainian fund ‘Come Back Alive’
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Sergei Irin a political prisoner. Irin was convicted of treason for transferring funds to a Ukrainian foundation. His criminal prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Sergei Irin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
Who is Sergei Irin and what were the charges against him?
Before the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Sergei Irin, a computer programmer, lived in Moscow and worked at Yandex. Since the early 2010s, he had participated in protests, taking part in the protest on Bolotnaya Square and in events in memory of Boris Nemtsov. After the start of the war against Ukraine, Irin was detained at an anti-war rally.
On 24 February 2022, he transferred $500 to the Ukrainian fund ‘Come Back Alive’, which provides assistance to the Ukrainian army. In the autumn, after the announcement of mobilisation, Irin left Russia, but returned in the spring of 2024 to see his mother and brother.
On 27 April 2024, Sergei Irin was detained in Nizhny Novgorod on charges of hooliganism and jailed for five days. Upon leaving the detention centre, FSB officers forcibly detained him again. Irin was then charged with ‘treason in the form of providing financial assistance to a foreign state or organisation in activities directed against the security of Russia’ (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Irin subsequently said that he had been ‘interrogated with the use of electric shocks.’
During the investigation and trial, Irin did not deny he had made the monetary transfer. He said he had wanted to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. At the trial, he demonstratively refused to stand when the verdict was announced and held up a poster with an anti-war slogan.
In August 2025, Irin was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment, with the first three years to be served in a cell-type prison and the rest in a strict regime penal colony. He was also fined five million roubles.
Why do we consider Sergei Irin a political prisoner?
From the standpoint of international law, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is illegal and criminal. Donations to assist the Ukrainian army, therefore, cannot be considered a crime, but are the provision of aid to Ukraine to repel military aggression. Such donations do not harm Russia’s security. Russia’s security is threatened by the very war the Russian authorities have unleashed.
Sergei Irin, who criticised the Russian authorities and the war of aggression against Ukraine, has been the victim of a politically motivated prosecution and conviction. His prosecution was part of a repressive campaign that has seen dozens of people sentenced to terms of imprisonment for donating to Ukrainian organisations.
A detailed description of Sergei Irin’s case and of our position is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Sergei Irin at the following address:
RU:
433503, Ульяновская область, г. Димитровград, ул. Калугина, д. 66, ФКУ Т УФСИН России по Ульяновской области, Ирин Сергей Николаевич, 1979 г. р.
EN:
Sergei Nikolaevich Irin (born 1979), Prison, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Ulyanovsk Oblast, 66 Kalugina Street, Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Oblast, 433503, 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.
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
