{"id":62278,"date":"2025-11-20T15:28:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T12:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-sergeya-ganina\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T14:18:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T11:18:20","slug":"sergei-ganin-is-a-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/sergei-ganin-is-a-political-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"Sergei Ganin is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A construction worker from Nizhny Novgorod has been sentenced to nine years in a penal colony for alleged participation in the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps in 2015<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with<\/strong> international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Sergei Ganin a political prisoner. Ganin was convicted of \u2018participating in an illegal armed group on the territory of a foreign state for purposes contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation\u2019 because investigators believed he participated in the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps and fought against the armed groups of the \u2018Donetsk People\u2019s Republic\u2019 [\u2018DPR\u2019]. Ganin\u2019s prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Sergei Ganin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What were the charges against Sergei Ganin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Law enforcement officers detained Sergei Ganin in February 2023. The investigative authorities alleged that, in 2014, Ganin had travelled to Ukraine to join the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps and, until 2015, participated in hostilities against the armed formations of the \u2018DPR.\u2019 He was charged with participation in an \u2018illegal armed group for purposes against the interests of the Russian Federation\u2019 (Article 208, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ganin himself denied involvement with Ukrainian volunteer formations, saying that at that time he had been working on building sites in Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January 2025, a court in Nizhny Novgorod sentenced Sergei Ganin to nine years in a general regime penal colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Sergei Ganin a political prisoner?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the basis of the case materials, the charge brought against Sergei Ganin of participation in an illegal armed group is unfounded. First, even if Ganin had been a member of a volunteer formation, his actions could not be classified under this offence. The volunteer units were not illegal under Ukrainian law, and regulating their legal status is the exclusive competence of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the wording of the charge regarding actions \u2018contrary to the interests of the Russian Federation\u2019 violates the principle of legal certainty, since such \u2018interests\u2019 are nowhere defined in law. The objectives of the Ukrainian army, in which Sergei Ganin was effectively accused of participating, do not contradict Russia’s interests. It is Russia’s use of force against Ukraine that contradicts both international law and Russia\u2019s own interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, the evidence of Ganin’s participation in the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps is unconvincing. The prosecution relied on the testimony of classified witnesses and prisoners that contradicted the facts, contained errors and was not corroborated by independent sources. The poor quality of the evidence was such that even the court excluded a significant part of the episodes from the charges. At the same time, numerous testimonies by Ganin\u2019s relatives and colleagues claiming he was in Russia in 2014\u20132015 appear far more reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of Sergei Ganin\u2019s case 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 Sergei Ganin at the following address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

612744, \u041a\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c, \u0433. \u041e\u043c\u0443\u0442\u043d\u0438\u043d\u0441\u043a, \u0443\u043b. \u0422\u0440\u0443\u0434\u043e\u0432\u044b\u0445 \u0440\u0435\u0437\u0435\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0432, \u0434. 125, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0418\u041a-17 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u041a\u0438\u0440\u043e\u0432\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u0413\u0430\u043d\u0438\u043d \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0439 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1987 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Sergei Sergeevich Ganin (born 1987), Penal Colony No. 17, Federal Penitentiary Service for Kirov Oblast, 125 Trudovykh Rezervov Street, Omutninsk, Kirov Oblast, 612744, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via 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

You can donate<\/a> to help all political prisoners in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-62278","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-nizhny-novgorod-oblast","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSergei Ganin is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. 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