{"id":62441,"date":"2025-09-24T12:31:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T09:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/news\/my-schitaem-politzaklyuchyonnym-romana-linkova\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T16:28:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T13:28:52","slug":"roman-linkov-is-a-political-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/memopzk.org\/en\/news\/roman-linkov-is-a-political-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"Roman Linkov is a political prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A welder from Penza has been sentenced to 14 years\u2019 imprisonment on charges of involvement in a terrorist organisation and \u2018collusion\u2019 with foreigners for correspondence on the Internet and putting up flyers<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u2018Political Prisoners. Memorial\u2019 human rights project, in accordance with<\/strong> international standards<\/strong><\/a>, considers Roman Linkov a political prisoner. Linkov is being prosecuted on charges of \u2018participating in the activities of a terrorist organisation\u2019 and \u2018collusion with foreigners\u2019 for correspondence on the Internet and putting up flyers. Linkov\u2019s criminal prosecution violates his right to a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Roman Linkov, that all criminal charges against him be dropped and that his allegations of torture be investigated.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the charges against Roman Linkov?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Roman Linkov was detained on 11 September 2024, he was taken to a forest where he was beaten and threatened in order to force him into making a confession. On 13 September, he was placed under house arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the prosecution, Linkov contacted representatives of the Free Russia Legion online. In communications with representatives of this organisation, Linkov \u2018expressed his willingness to participate in both the combat and civilian divisions of the Free Russia Legion, agreed to anonymously finance the activities of the Free Russia Legion, destroy \u2018Z symbols,\u2019 distribute leaflets, and collect and transmit information of interest to the Free Russia Legion.\u2019<\/em> In addition, he allegedly swore allegiance to the Free Russia Legion and put up flyers in Penza containing the Legion\u2019s symbols and criticism of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Linkov was accused of participating in the activities of a terrorist organisation (Article 205.5, Part 2, of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and collusion with a foreign state (Article 275.1 CC RF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linkov maintains his innocence of the charges, claiming he only put up flyers because he had always been against the war with Ukraine. He stated he has many friends living in Ukraine and he himself lived there until 2000 and even served in the Ukrainian army. According to Linkov’s wife, he was afraid that as a Russian citizen he would be mobilised for the \u2018special military operation\u2019 and contacted the \u2018I Want to Live\u2019 project because he was thinking of leaving Russia for Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In November 2025, Roman Linkov was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment in a strict-regime penal colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In correspondence with alleged representatives of the Free Russia Legion, Linkov allegedly agreed to undertake various actions in its support. However, he has been charged only with this correspondence itself and the distribution of leaflets. Moreover, it can be assumed that it was agents of Russian intelligence agencies who corresponded with Linkov under the guise of representatives of the Free Russia Legion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, the designation in Russia of the Free Russia Legion as a terrorist organisation is unlawful and without justification. The Free Russia Legion is a unit of the Ukrainian armed forces. Its activities in the current hostilities are not terrorism, but participation in the legitimate defence of Ukraine against aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linkov\u2019s prosecution on a charge of \u2018collusion\u2019 is also unlawful. The article of the Russian Criminal Code criminalising \u2018collusion\u2019 was introduced into law in July 2022 and has become yet another tool in the regime\u2019s fight against \u2018internal enemies.\u2019 The law does not comply with the principle of legal certainty since it effectively serves to criminalise any communication between Russian citizens and foreigners. Moreover, it provides 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 and all related criminal cases closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A detailed description of Roman Linkov\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 Roman Linkov at the following address:<\/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, \u041b\u0438\u043d\u044c\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u0420\u043e\u043c\u0430\u043d \u0415\u0432\u0433\u0435\u043d\u044c\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447, 1978 \u0433. \u0440.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Roman Yevgenyevich Linkov (born 1978), Prison No. 2, Federal Penitentiary Service for Lipetsk Oblast, 1 B Proletarskaya Ulitsa, Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast, 399783, Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also send emails via <\/a>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\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-62441","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","regions-penza-oblast","news-type-press-releases"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRoman Linkov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. Memorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A welder from Penza has been sentenced to 14 years\u2019 imprisonment on charges of involvement in a terrorist organisation and \u2018collusion\u2019 with foreigners for correspondence on the Internet and putting up flyers\" \/>\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\/roman-linkov-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=\"Roman Linkov is a political prisoner - Political prisoners support. 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