Yevgeny Nikiforov, Sergei Borisov and Sergei Chunosov are political prisoners
Residents of Tver, Volgograd and Amur Oblasts have been convicted of treason for allegedly intending to join the Ukrainian armed forces
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Yevgeny Nikiforov, Sergei Borisov and Sergei Chunosov political prisoners. The three men were convicted of ‘preparing to commit treason by defecting to the enemy’ for correspondence with the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps. The prosecutions and convictions of Nikiforov, Borisov and Chunosov violated their rights to a fair trial. We demand that all criminal charges against them be dropped.
What were the charges against Yevgeny Nikiforov, Sergei Borisov and Sergei Chunosov?
Yevgeny Nikiforov, from Volgograd Oblast, was detained in December 2022 in Rostov Oblast where, according to the investigative authorities, he had travelled to join the Free Russia Legion. Military clothing and an application to sign a contract with the Ukrainian armed forces were found in Nikiforov’s possession.
Sergei Borisov, who worked as a driver and installed cable internet in Tver, was detained in January 2023. He was allegedly planning to travel to the border with Ukraine to join the Free Russia Legion. Like Nikiforov, Borisov was found to be in possession of military clothing, as well as medical supplies. In a video of his detention, Borisov says he bought these items on the recommendation of a contact in Ukraine.
Sergei Chunosov, who worked as a driver in Amur Oblast, was detained in July 2023 at Blagoveshchensk airport as he was boarding a flight to Moscow. Chunosov had already boarded the bus to the aircraft when security officers approached him and placed a bag over his head. Chunosov was then jailed on an administrative charge of disobeying FSB officers. A criminal case was subsequently opened against him on a charge of intending to join the Russian Volunteer Corps. At the time of his arrest, Chunosov was forced to say on camera that he planned to take up armed resistance against the Russian authorities.
Nikiforov, Borisov and Chunosov were tried on charges of preparing to commit treason by defecting to the enemy (Article 30, Part 1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in conjunction with Article 275 CC RF). They were all sentenced to terms in a strict regime penal colony. On 13 March 2023, Borisov was sentenced to six years; on 4 April 2023, Nikiforov was sentenced to six and a half years; on 25 June 2024, Chunosov was sentenced to six years.
Why do we consider Yevgeny Nikiforov, Sergei Borisov and Sergei Chunosov political prisoners?
The cases of Nikiforov and Borisov were among those that formed the basis of the Russian Supreme Court’s unlawful decision to designate the Free Russia Legion a terrorist organisation.
We do not know whether Nikiforov, Borisov and Chunosov actually intended to join the Ukrainian armed forces. However, even if they did, they should not face criminal prosecution. You can read more about our approach to this issue here.
Furthermore, the similarities among these prosecutions of Russians from different parts of the country suggest FSB officers may have communicated with the accused online in the guise of representatives of the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps.
You can read more about the cases of Yevgeny Nikiforov, Sergei Borisov and Sergei Chunosov on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Sergei Borisov at the following address:
RU:
Российская Федерация, 624192, Свердловская область, г. Невьянск, ул. Долгих, д. 81, ФКУ ИК-46 ГУФСИН России по Свердловской области, Борисов Сергей Юрьевич, 1982 г. р.
EN:
Sergei Yuryevich Borisov (1982), Penal Colony No. 46, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Sverdlovsk Oblast, 81 Dolgikh Street, Nevyansk, Sverdlovsk Oblast, 624192, Russian Federation
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.
If you have information about the place of detention of Yevgeny Nikiforov or Sergei Chunosov, please let us know by email at: [email protected].
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
