{"id":62399,"date":"2025-11-17T15:36:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T12:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-viktora-pokusina\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T19:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T16:43:46","slug":"viktor-pokusin-is-a-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/viktor-pokusin-is-a-political-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"Viktor Pokusin is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An ensign from Siberia was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for desertion and collusion with the Free Russia Legion<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with <\/strong>international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Viktor Pokusin a political prisoner. Pokusin was convicted on charges of failing to report for duty, desertion, and collusion for refusing military service and allegedly contacting the Free Russia Legion.<\/strong> Pokusin\u2019s criminal prosecution and conviction violated his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Viktor Pokusin and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What were the charges against Viktor Pokusin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viktor Pokusin, a contract soldier from Novosibirsk Oblast, twice left his unit after September 2022 to travel to another region. The first time, he was charged with failing to report for duty on time (Article 337, Part 2.1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), given a suspended sentence of one year, and ordered to continue his military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In June 2023, Pokusin left his unit again, stating he no longer wished to serve in the army and had no legal opportunity to resign after mobilisation was announced. Pokusin was detained and charged with desertion (Article 338, Part 3, CC RF). In September 2023, a court in Novosibirsk sentenced him to six years in a penal colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost a year later, Pokusin was charged with \u2018collusion with foreigners\u2019 (Article 275.1 CC RF) on the grounds that he had agreed to set fire to military enlistment offices, gather information and distribute leaflets on behalf of the Free Russia Legion. In August 2024, Viktor Pokusin was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in a general regime penal colony, taking into account the unserved part of his previous sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Viktor Pokusin a political prisoner?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After mobilisation began in the autumn of 2022, the offences of \u2018failure to report for duty\u2019 and \u2018desertion\u2019 were tightened and became instruments of prosecution for refusing to participate in military action. Service personnel effectively lost the opportunity to resign. It was at this very moment that Pokusin attempted to leave his unit for the first time in ten years of service. His actions can be understood as an attempt to refuse to participate in the war of aggression Russia was then waging against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The political nature of Pokusin\u2019s prosecution is confirmed by the charge of \u2018collusion with foreigners.\u2019 Pokusin’s alleged contacts and discussions with the Free Russia Legion, which the investigative authorities call \u2018collusion,\u2019 are difficult to explain otherwise than as an expression of disagreement with the war and a desire to oppose it. This is consistent with the fact that Pokusin tried to leave the military immediately after the start of mobilisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The offence of \u2018collusion\u2019 was added to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in July 2022 and has since become yet another instrument used by the regime to combat \u2018internal enemies.\u2019 The law\u2019s provisions do not comply with the principle of legal certainty, in essence criminalising any communication between Russian citizens and foreigners and providing for punishment not for specific actions, but merely for an alleged intention to \u2018facilitate\u2019 some undefined \u2018activity.\u2019 The law on \u2018collusion\u2019 must be rescinded, all related convictions quashed and ongoing prosecutions dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viktor Pokusin\u2019s prosecution was consequent upon his desire not to participate in the war and his disagreement with the Russian state’s military aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of Viktor Pokusin\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 Viktor Pokusin at the following address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

630097, \u0433. \u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0438\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0441\u043a, \u0443\u043b. \u0417\u0432\u0451\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0430\u044f, \u0434. 34, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0418\u041a-3 \u0413\u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0441\u0438\u0431\u0438\u0440\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u041f\u043e\u043a\u0443\u0441\u0438\u043d \u0412\u0438\u043a\u0442\u043e\u0440 \u0421\u0435\u0440\u0433\u0435\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1992 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Viktor Sergeevich Pokusin (born 1992), Penal Colony No. 3, Federal Penitentiary Service for Novosibirsk Oblast, 34 Zvyozdnaya Street, Novosibirsk, 630097, 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-62399","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-novosibirsk-oblast","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nViktor Pokusin is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An ensign from Siberia was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for desertion and collusion with the Free Russia Legion\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/viktor-pokusin-is-a-political-prisoner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Viktor Pokusin is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. 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