Viktor Nikitin is a political prisoner

A Khabarovsk resident has been sentenced to five years in a penal colony on a charge of ‘collusion’ with foreigners

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Viktor Nikitin a political prisoner. Nikitin was convicted on a charge of ‘collusion’ with a foreign state. Nikitin’s prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Viktor Nikitin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.

What were the charges against Viktor Nikitin?

According to the prosecution, Viktor Nikitin spoke out against Russia’s war against Ukraine. Furthermore, in April 2024 he allegedly established contact with a representative of the Ukrainian security services via a messaging app ‘to carry out activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation.’ The alleged representative gave Nikitin the task of collecting and passing on to him information about military facilities in Khabarovsk Krai.

On 28 April 2024, Viktor Nikitin was detained. However, it appears he was only officially remanded in custody at the beginning of June. Nikitin was then charged with collusion with a foreign state in order to carry out activities directed against the security of Russia (Article 275.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

On 6 June 2025, a court in Khabarovsk sentenced Viktor Nikitin in a closed trial to five years in a general regime penal colony with a further 18 months’ probation on release and a fine.

Why do we consider Viktor Nikitin a political prisoner?

The article on ‘collusion’ was adopted into law in July 2022. It has since become yet another tool in the regime’s fight against ‘internal enemies.’ The article’s provisions do not comply with the principle of legal certainty. In essence, this law criminalizes any communication between Russian citizens and foreigners; moreover, it provides for punishment not for specific actions, but merely for an alleged intention to ‘facilitate’ an undefined ‘activity.’ The article on ‘collusion’ must be repealed, all related criminal convictions quashed and ongoing prosecutions closed.

In its report, the FSB limited itself to stating that Nikitin had ‘established contact’ and ‘received an assignment.’ Most likely, then, Nikitin neither actually collected information about military facilities, nor even expressed a readiness to do so. Otherwise the FSB report would have definitively stated this.

In any case, we believe that a rejection of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, and attempts to help that country, are beneficial to Russian society and therefore cannot be subject to criminal prosecution, let alone imprisonment.

A detailed description of Viktor Nikitin’s case and of our position is available on our website.

How can you help?

You can write to Viktor Nikitin at the following address:

RU:

682640, Хабаровский край, г. Амурск, шоссе Машиностроителей, д. 10, ФКУ ИК-14 УФСИН России по Хабаровскому краю, Никитину Виктору Валерьевичу, 1988 г. р. 

EN:

Viktor Valeryevich Nikitin (born 1988), Penal Colony No. 14, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Khabarovsk Krai, 10 Shosse Mashinostroiteley, Amursk, Khabarovsk Krai, 682640, 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.