{"id":60089,"date":"2026-05-05T10:20:36","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T07:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/nikolaj-petrovskij-i-sergej-kotov-politzaklyuchyonnye\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T15:43:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T12:43:40","slug":"mykola-petrovskyi-and-serhii-kotov-are-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/mykola-petrovskyi-and-serhii-kotov-are-political-prisoners\/","title":{"rendered":"Mykola Petrovskyi and Serhii Kotov are political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ukrainians from Kherson Oblast sentenced to 16 and 15 years in a maximum-security penal colony for sharing open-source information about Russian troops<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mykola Petrovskyi is a lawyer from Kherson and a volunteer who helped evacuate civilians. Serhii Kotov is a driving instructor from Oleshky and the father of a minor daughter. Both are Ukrainian citizens and persons with Group III disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the spring of 2022, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Petrovskyi and Kotov disappeared in the Russian-occupied part of Kherson Oblast. Most likely, they were abducted by Russian military personnel: Petrovskyi in late March and Kotov in early April. For a long time, they were held without any legal status or formal charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only months later (and in Kotov\u2019s case, almost a year later) were criminal cases opened against them; these were subsequently merged into a single case. According to the prosecution, Petrovskyi and Kotov cooperated with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and, in March 2022, transmitted information about the locations of Russian troops in Kherson Oblast. The information in question was publicly available online and on social media. Kotov allegedly sent the information to Petrovskyi, who then passed it on to an SSU representative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both men were charged with espionage (Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code). On September 27, 2023, a court in Crimea sentenced Petrovskyi to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony and Kotov to 15 years. The appeal and cassation courts upheld the verdict unchanged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petrovskyi and Kotov, along with their defence lawyers, rightly argued that the information was publicly available and concerned military units located on Ukrainian territory; therefore, transmitting it could not have threatened Russia\u2019s security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prosecution of Petrovskyi and Kotov has been accompanied by serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. They were not only detained without legal grounds but were also subjected to torture. Their trial was held behind closed doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The espionage article is widely used for the politically motivated persecution of Ukrainians in territories occupied by Russia, despite the fact that international law expressly prohibits the occupying power from prosecuting residents of occupied territories under its own legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of Mykola Petrovskyi\u2019s and Serhii Kotov\u2019s case and of our position is available on our\u00a0website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you help?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can write to Mykola Petrovskyi and Serhii Kotov at the following addresses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ru:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

413724, \u0421\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c, \u0433. \u041f\u0443\u0433\u0430\u0447\u0451\u0432, \u041a\u0430\u0440\u044c\u0435\u0440 \u041c\u0412\u0414, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0418\u041a-4 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0421\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u041f\u0435\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0439 \u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1993 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

410080, \u0433. \u0421\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0432, \u0421\u043e\u043a\u0443\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0442\u0440\u0430\u043a\u0442, \u0434. 57, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0418\u041a-10 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0421\u0430\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u041a\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0432 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0439 \u0410\u043d\u0430\u0442\u043e\u043b\u044c\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1972 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

En:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penal Colony No. 4, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Saratov Oblast, Quarry of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Pugachev, Saratov Oblast, 413724, Russia, Mykola Mykolaiovych Petrovskyi, born 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penal Colony No. 10, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Saratov Oblast, 57 Sokursky Trakt, Saratov, 410080, Russia, Serhii Anatoliiovych Kotov, born 1972.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via the ZT<\/a> service (for payment with all bank cards), and Memorial-France<\/a> (free of charge).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the intended recipient.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-60089","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-kherson-oblast","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMykola Petrovskyi and Serhii Kotov are political prisoners - Political prisoners support. 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