{"id":62124,"date":"2025-11-10T14:08:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T11:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnymi-mihaila-kovalya-nadezhdu-uhovu-i-viktoriyu-brazhnik\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T01:32:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T22:32:01","slug":"mikhail-koval-nadezhda-ukhova-and-viktoriia-brazhnik-are-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/mikhail-koval-nadezhda-ukhova-and-viktoriia-brazhnik-are-political-prisoners\/","title":{"rendered":"Mikhail Koval, Nadezhda Ukhova, and Viktoriia Brazhnik are political prisoners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Parishioners of the Vozrozhdenie (Revival) Church have been charged with involvement in an \u2018undesirable organisation\u2019 for religious gatherings and donations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with<\/strong> international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Mikhail Koval, Nadezhda Ukhova, and Viktoriia Brazhnik political prisoners and Ilona Nagornova a victim of politically motivated prosecution. As parishioners of the Vozrozhdenie Church, they are being prosecuted for organising the activities of an \u2018undesirable organisation.\u2019 Their criminal prosecution violates their rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as well as to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Koval and Ukhova from custody and of Brazhnik from a psychiatric hospital, and that all criminal charges against parishioners of the Vozrozhdenie Church are dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the charges against the parishioners of the Vozrozhdenie Church?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Vozrozhdenie Church is a charismatic religious organisation that emerged in Ukraine in the late 1990s and operated legally in Russia for many years until 2022, when the Prosecutor General’s Office designated it \u2018undesirable.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October 2023, three parishioners of Vozrozhdenie from Moscow \u2014 Mikhail Koval, whom the investigative authorities consider the \u2018coordinator of the centre’s cells in Russia\u2019, Nadezhda Ukhova and Ilona Nagornova \u2014 were charged with \u2018organising the activities of an undesirable organisation\u2019 (Article 284.1, Part 3, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). The three allegedly recruited parishioners and collected donations that were sent to the Ukrainian army. According to the investigative authorities, the Russian branches of the church \u2018serve as a tool for creating a protest electorate in the country.\u2019 Koval was remanded in custody, while Ukhova and Nagornova were placed under house arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2024, a Moscow court sentenced Koval to four years in a penal colony, Ukhova to three years, and Nagornova to three and a half years (the latter a suspended sentence until 2027, when her youngest child would turn 14). All three were prohibited from engaging in religious activities for seven years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another member of Vozrozhdenie, Viktoriia Brazhnik, who moved to Moscow from Ukraine and was raising two children and a niece on her own, was charged with financing an undesirable organisation (Article 284.1, Part 2, CC RF). She says she was unaware of the ban on Vozrozhdenie and believed the funds were going to help the poor and the sick. In August 2025, the court ordered Brazhnik to undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Mikhail Koval, Nadezhda Ukhova, and Viktoriia Brazhnik political prisoners?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prosecution of the Vozrozhdenie Church is part of a campaign by the Russian authorities against \u2018non-traditional\u2019 religious movements. Clearly, the church’s close ties with Ukraine also played a significant role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authorities are using the article of the Russian Criminal Code on \u2018undesirable\u2019 foreign and international organisations, which is unlawful, as a tool of repression. Decisions to assign the status of \u2018undesirable\u2019 are made by the Prosecutor General’s Office in an extrajudicial manner. We consider any prosecution under this article of the Criminal Code unlawful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite allegations that harm was caused to parishioners at Vozrozhdenie meetings, none of the defendants has been charged with any such offences. In essence, they are being prosecuted solely for participating in religious gatherings and making donations to charity. These are religious activities, the right to which is guaranteed by the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of particular concern is the fact that Viktoriia Brazhnik was ordered to undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment. Her actions posed no danger to the public and we consider such a measure a manifestation of punitive psychiatry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of the cases of Mikhail Koval, Nadezhda Ukhova, and Viktoriia Brazhnik <\/strong>and of our position is available on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

You can write to Nadezhda Ukhova at the following address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RU:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

155814, \u0418\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c, \u0433. \u041a\u0438\u043d\u0435\u0448\u043c\u0430, \u0443\u043b. \u0428\u0443\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f, \u0434. 1, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0418\u041a-3 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0418\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u0423\u0445\u043e\u0432\u0430 \u041d\u0430\u0434\u0435\u0436\u0434\u0430 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0435\u0432\u043d\u0430, 1973 \u0433. \u0440.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EN:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nadezhda Sergeevna Ukhova (born 1973), Penal Colony No. 3, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Ivanovo Oblast, 1 Shuyskaya Street, Kineshma, Ivanovo Oblast, 155814, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via F-Pismo<\/a> (for payment with Russian bank cards), ZT<\/a> (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

If you have information as to where Mikhail Koval and Viktoriia Brazhnik are being held, please contact us by email at: help.political.prisoners@memohrc.org<\/a>.<\/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-62124","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-moscow","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMikhail Koval, Nadezhda Ukhova, and Viktoriia Brazhnik are political prisoners - Political prisoners support. 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