Yevgeny Telegin and Andrei Yermolenkov are political prisoners
Residents of Moscow and Kursk Oblasts were sentenced to terms of nine and a half years and six years in a strict regime penal colony for attempting to join the Free Russia Legion
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Yevgeny Telegin and Andrei Yermolenkov political prisoners. The two men were convicted on charges of intending to commit treason and attempting to cross the border illegally to reach Ukraine and there join the Ukrainian armed forces. The prosecutions and convictions of Telegin and Yermolenkov violated their rights to a fair trial. We demand that their convictions be quashed.
What were the charges against Yevgeny Telegin and Andrei Yermolenkov?
Yevgeny Telegin from Moscow Oblast worked as an assistant driver on the Moscow Metro underground railway system. No later than September 2023, he was detained in Bryansk Oblast where he had attempted to cross the border into Ukraine on foot. The investigative authorities claimed that ‘as an opponent of the special military operation’ Telegin had corresponded with recruiters from the Ukrainian armed forces to go and fight on the side of Ukraine.
He was charged with attempted treason (Article 30, Part 3, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in conjunction with Article 275 CC RF) and attempted illegal border crossing (Article 30, Part 3, CC RF in conjunction with Article 322, Part 1, CC RF). On 14 December 2023, a court in Bryansk sentenced Yevgeny Telegin to nine and a half years in a strict regime penal colony.
Andrei Yermolenkov from Zheleznogorsk in Kursk Oblast recently graduated from college. He was detained in May 2023 whilst attempting to cross the border with Ukraine in Kursk Oblast. According to the prosecution, after Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, Yermolenkov decided to travel to Ukraine to take part in military operations on the Ukrainian side. He began learning Ukrainian and sent an application to join the Free Russia Legion. In a video of his confession, published online, Yermolenkov stated he bought insignia bearing the unit’s flag on AliExpress and received instructions from the unit’s representatives on how to cross the border. In the same video, it was alleged that Yermolenkov had passed on information about the location of military units in Kursk Oblast to his ‘handlers.’
Yermolenkov was charged with preparing to commit treason (Article 30, Part 1, CC RF in conjunction with Article 275 CC RF) and attempting to illegally cross the border (Article 30, Part 3, CC RF in conjunction with Article 322, Part 1, CC RF). On 11 January 2024, he was sentenced to six years in a strict regime penal colony.
Why do we consider Yevgeny Telegin and Andrei Yermolenkov political prisoners?
Even if Telegin and Yermolenkov had indeed planned to join the Ukrainian armed forces, they should not have faced criminal prosecution for this.
In international law, Ukraine’s actions in defending itself against Russian aggression are lawful and justified. Moreover, the only prohibited form of foreign participation in hostilities is mercenary activity. The actions that Telegin and Yermolenkov planned to carry out do not fall under the definition of mercenaryism. They intended to join the Free Russia Legion because they disagreed with the policies of the Russian authorities, and not for financial reasons. You can read more about our approach to such cases here.
Illegal border crossing is a minor offence which cannot be punished by a long prison sentence. Given that Yermolenkov and Telegin were charged only with attempting this offence, they would already have served their maximum possible sentences.
More information about the cases of Yevgeny Telegin and Andrei Yermolenkov is available on our website.
How can you help?
You can write to Andrei Yermolenkov at the following address:
RU:
165651, Архангельская область, г. Коряжма, Магистральное шоссе, д. 101, ФКУ ИК-5 УФСИН России по Архангельской области, Ермоленков Андрей Юрьевич, 2002 г. р.
EN:
Andrei Yurievich Yermolenkov (born 2002), Penal Colony No. 5, Federal Penitentiary Service for Arkhangelsk Oblast, 101 Magistralnoe Shosse, Koryazhma, Arkhangelsk Oblast, 165651, 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.
If you have information about the penal colony in which Yevgeny Telegin is being held, please let us know by email at [email protected]
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia.
