{"id":62431,"date":"2025-12-12T12:50:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T09:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnymi-andreya-alekseeva-maksima-vasyuka-i-mihaila-golika\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T15:45:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T12:45:24","slug":"andrei-alekseev-maksim-vasyuk-and-mikhail-golik-are-political-prisoners","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/andrei-alekseev-maksim-vasyuk-and-mikhail-golik-are-political-prisoners\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrei Alekseev, Maksim Vasyuk and Mikhail Golik are political prisoners\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Residents of Yakutia, Moscow Oblast and Veliky Novgorod have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment of up to 12 years for attempting to set fire to military recruitment centres and railway signal boxes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with<\/strong> international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Andrei Alekseev, Mikhail Golik and Maksim Vasyuk political prisoners. Alekseev and Vasyuk were convicted on a charge of terrorism for attempting to set fire to military recruitment centres; Golik was convicted of setting fire to a railway signal box. The prosecution and conviction of Alekseev, Vasyuk and Golik violated their rights to a fair trial. We demand that their criminal cases be reheard in a fair trial.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What were the charges against Andrei Alekseev, Maksim Vasyuk and Mikhail Golik?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrei Alekseev<\/strong>, a 20-year-old soldier from Yakutia, threw a Molotov cocktail at a military recruitment centre in Vladivostok in June 2022. The fire was quickly extinguished, damaging only a few wooden planks at the entrance. A stranger who had contacted Alekseev via Telegram had offered him 15,000 roubles to set fire to the military recruitment centre. According to the investigative authorities, the instigator was opposed to the \u2018special military operation\u2019 and mobilisation. Alekseev was charged with a terrorist offence (Article 205, Part1, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and on 1 March 2023 was sentenced to seven years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maksim Vasyuk<\/strong>, a 32-year-old Moldovan national, threw several bottles containing a flammable mixture at the military recruitment centre in Volokolamsk, near Moscow, on 23 November 2023. The bottles ricocheted from the building and caused no damage. The investigative authorities later claimed Vasyuk had contacted the administrator of a Ukrainian Telegram channel used to \u2018coordinate subversive activities\u2019 and agreed to set fire to the military recruitment centre for money. Vasyuk was charged with attempted terrorism by prior conspiracy causing significant damage (Article 30, Part 3, CC RF in conjunction with Article 205, Part 2 [a, b], CC RF). On 29 October 2024 he was sentenced to nine years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mikhail Golik<\/strong>, a 20-year-old student from Veliky Novgorod, set fire to a railway signal box in April 2024. The signal box was destroyed in the fire, but there was no other damage. According to the investigative authorities, Golik did so because he disagreed with the policies of the Russian authorities. He was charged with a terrorism offence (Article 205, Part 1, CC RF). On 29 April 2025 he was sentenced to 12 years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do we consider Andrei Alekseev, Maksim Vasyuk and Mikhail Golik political prisoners?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prosecutions of Alekseev, Vasyuk and Golik were politically motivated. The arson targeting military recruitment centres and railway signal boxes cannot legitimately be classified as terrorist acts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all cases, the charges were brought under anti-terrorism laws because either the perpetrator or the instigator opposed the war with Ukraine. Evidently, the Russian authorities are prosecuting dissidents for arson attacks that have no serious consequences as terrorism to intimidate opponents of the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More information about the cases of Andrei Alekseev<\/a>, Maksim Vasyuk<\/a> and Mikhail Golik<\/a> is available on our website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about our analysis of such cases, see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

You can write to Mikhail Golik at the following presumed address:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

300911, \u0433. \u0422\u0443\u043b\u0430, \u0426\u0435\u043d\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0440-\u043d, \u043f. \u041e\u0437\u0451\u0440\u043d\u044b\u0439, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u041b\u0418\u0423-3 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u0422\u0443\u043b\u044c\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u0413\u043e\u043b\u0438\u043a \u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438\u043b \u0411\u043e\u0440\u0438\u0441\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0447, 2004 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Mikhail Borisovich Golik (born 2004), Medical Correctional Facility No. 3, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Tula Oblast, Ozyorny, Tsentralny district, Tula, 300911, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

399783, \u041b\u0438\u043f\u0435\u0446\u043a\u0430\u044f \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u044c, \u0433. \u0415\u043b\u0435\u0446, \u0443\u043b. \u041f\u0440\u043e\u043b\u0435\u0442\u0430\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f, \u0434. 1\u0411, \u0424\u041a\u0423 \u0422-2 \u0423\u0424\u0421\u0418\u041d \u0420\u043e\u0441\u0441\u0438\u0438 \u043f\u043e \u041b\u0438\u043f\u0435\u0446\u043a\u043e\u0439 \u043e\u0431\u043b\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0438, \u0412\u0430\u0441\u044e\u043a \u041c\u0430\u043a\u0441\u0438\u043c \u042d\u0434\u0443\u0430\u0440\u0434\u043e\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1991 \u0433. \u0440. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EN:
Maksim Eduardovich Vasyuk (born 1991), Prison No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Lipetsk Oblast, 1 B Proletarskaya Street, Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast, 399783, 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 know the location of the penal colony where Andrei Alekseev is being held, please email us 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\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-62431","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-moscow-oblast","regions-novgorod-oblast","regions-respublika-saha-yakutiya-en","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAndrei Alekseev, Maksim Vasyuk and Mikhail Golik are political prisoners\u00a0 - Political prisoners support. 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