Svetlana Savelyeva, Surlana Yenchinova, and Vera Sidorkina are political prisoners.
Three women, residents of Irkutsk Oblast, Gorno-Altaisk, and Yoshkar-Ola, have been charged with wanting to join the Ukrainian armed forces
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Svetlana Savelyeva, Surlana Yenchinova and Vera Sidorkina political prisoners. The three women are being prosecuted on charges of treason and participation in a terrorist organisation for allegedly planning to fight in the ranks of the Ukrainian armed forces (Yenchinova and Sidorkina allegedly planned to join the Free Russia Legion). The criminal prosecutions of Savelyeva, Yenchinova and Sidorkina violate their rights to a fair trial. We demand an immediate end to their criminal prosecutions.
What are the charges against Svetlana Savelyeva, Surlana Yenchinova and Vera Sidorkina?
Svetlana Savelyeva, a translator from Irkutsk Oblast, arrived in the vicinity of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast on 16 October 2024 and attempted to cross the contact line to enter Ukraine. According to the investigative authorities, she wanted to participate in the hostilities against Russia. Savelyeva’s mother said her daughter had a relationship with a Ukrainian soldier and had decided to join him. Unable to enter Ukraine via a third country, she had resolved to cross the border when Ukrainian troops were in Kursk Oblast. Savelyeva was detained and, after a series of short jail terms under administrative law, was charged with attempted treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). While in detention, Savelyeva was tortured and threatened. On 17 December 2024, she was remanded in custody. She faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
Surlana Yenchinova, from Gorno-Altaisk, is a district paediatric doctor, a volunteer and mother of a young son. On 4 October 2024, she was remanded in custody on a charge of ‘participating in the activities of a terrorist organisation’ (Article 205.5, Part 2, CC RF). The investigative authorities claim Yenchinova ‘made contact with the Ukrainian side’ and took an oath to the Free Russia Legion. She then photographed documents of security forces personnel and ‘veterans of the special military operation’ in a hospital and sent them to the Free Russia Legion in order to ‘harm Russia’s security.’ Yenchinova then bought a ticket to Turkey, allegedly to join the Free Russia Legion. According to her relatives, she maintains her innocence of the charges and claims the whole incident was a provocation. Yenchinova faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
Vera Sidorkina, a flower seller from Yoshkar-Ola, was detained on 24 April 2024. According to the prosecution, in 2023 she contacted the Free Russia Legion and filled out an application form to join the unit. She allegedly wanted to go to Ukraine with her daughter in the summer of 2023, but was not allowed to cross the border. Eight months later, Sidorkina was charged with ‘attempting to participate in a terrorist organisation’ (Article 30, Part 3, CC RF in conjunction with Article 205.5, Part 2, CC RF). Sidorkina also allegedly offered to work with representatives of Ukraine and sent them satellite images with coordinates of ‘defence industry enterprises and facilities of the Russian Ministry of Defence.’ The investigative authorities classified this as treason (Article 275 CC RF). On 20 June 2025, Sidorkina was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment.
Why do we consider Svetlana Savelyeva, Surlana Yenchinova, and Vera Sidorkina political prisoners?
Criminal prosecution for an intention to participate in military operations on the territory of Ukraine is unlawful, whether on a charge of treason or for ‘participation in a terrorist organisation.’ We also consider the prosecutions of Surlana Yenchinova and Vera Sidorkina for actions they did succeed in carrying out to be unlawful.
The Free Russia Legion is a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces that has been wrongfully designated in Russia as a terrorist organisation. Therefore, the prosecution of Yenchinova is also wrongful. Most likely, she was the victim of a sting operation by the Russian security forces: it was on their instructions that she ‘took the oath’ and carried out tasks that had no practical significance and posed no danger to society. You can read more about sting operations by the security forces here.
Vera Sidorkina was convicted of ‘aiding a foreign state in activities against the security of the Russian Federation.’ However, the main threat to Russia’s security is the war it has unleashed against Ukraine, not Sidorkina’s transfer of incomplete and irrelevant information about the factory where she worked as a driver until 2019.
Detailed descriptions of the cases of Svetlana Savelyeva, Surlana Yenchinova and Vera Sidorkina and of our position are available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Svetlana Savelyeva at the following address:
RU:
109383, г. Москва, ул. Шоссейная, д. 92, ФКУ СИЗО-6 ГУФСИН России по г. Москве, Савельева Светлана Игоревна, 1986 г. р.
EN:
Svetlana Igorevna Savelyeva (born 1986), Remand Prison No. 6, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the city of Moscow, 92 Shosseynaya Street, Moscow, 109383, Russia.
You can write to Surlana Yenchinova at the following address:
RU:
649105, Республика Алтай, Майминский р-н, с. Кызыл-Озек, ул. Горная, д. 15, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Республике Алтай, Енчиновой Сурлане Альбертовне, 1995 г. р.
EN:
Surlana Albertovna Yenchinova (born 1995), Remand Prison No. 1, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Republic of Altai, 15 Gornaya Street, Kyzyl-Ozek village, Mayminsky district, Republic of Altai, 649105, Russia.
You can write to Vera Sidorkina at the following address:
RU:
624140, Свердловская область, г. Кировград, ул. Дзержинского, д. 26, ФКУ СИЗО-6 ГУФСИН России по Свердловской области, Сидоркина Вера Ивановна, 1976 г. р. Можно написать через zt.ru
EN:
Vera Ivanovna Sidorkina (born 1976), Remand Prison No. 6, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Sverdlovsk Oblast, 26 Dzerzhinskogo Street, Kirovgrad, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 624140, Russia.
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