Kevin Liсk is a political prisoner

A high school student from Adygea has been sentenced to four years of imprisonment on a charge of treason for taking photos of a military unit from his apartment window

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Kevin Liсk a political prisoner. Lick has been convicted of treason for allegedly sending German security services photos of a military unit visible from his apartment window. Lick’s criminal prosecution violated his right to fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Kevin Liсk, that all criminal charges against him be dropped, and that allegations he was beaten while on remand be investigated.

Who is Kevin Liсk and what were the charges against him?

Kevin Liсk is a high school student from Maikop, a prize-winner in various intellectual competitions for school students. He has dual Russian and German nationality. Kevin was born in Germany and lived there until 2017 when he then moved to Russia with his mother Viktoria.

In February 2023, Viktoria and Kevin Liсk were preparing to move to Germany permanently. Before doing so, Viktoria Lick decided to remove her son from military registration. However, on 10 February, following another visit to the local military recruitment centre, Viktoria Liсk was arrested on a far-fetched administrative-law charge. As a result, they missed their flight. After her release, mother and son again tried to leave Russia, but on 23 February, the day of their flight, FSB officers detained Kevin Liсk. The officers searched his home and took him away for questioning on a charge of treason (Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code). He was later remanded in custody. Kevin Liсk was then 17 years old.

According to the prosecution, Lick ‘carried out visual observation and took photographs’ of a military unit. He allegedly passed the information he collected to the German intelligence services in exchange for benefits in entering university in Germany and ‘employment in the German intelligence service.’

On 28 December 2023, a court sentenced Kevin Liсk to four years’ imprisonment. He became the youngest person convicted of treason in Russia.

After being transferred to a second remand prison, Kevin told his mother he had been beaten by cellmates.

Why do we consider Lick a political prisoner?

From court and FSB press releases, we know Kevin Liсk was accused of photographing and videoing a military unit visible from his apartment windows. Footage from the security services, broadcast on Russian media, shows ‘surveillance equipment’: binoculars, a camera, and a telescope.

On the basis of available information, Kevin Liсk’s actions cannot be considered to be treason in any sense. He had no access to state secrets, so he could not pass them to any third party. Moreover, taking and sharing photographs of a military facility, which can be taken by any person from the window of their house, cannot be interpreted as the collection and transferring of state secrets or of information that can be used ‘against the security of the Russian Federation.’ Furthermore, photographs of military units stationed in Maikop can easily be found in the public domain on the Internet.

The vague wording of the article of the Russian Criminal Code on treason simplifies the work of investigative authorities and makes it possible for them to allege treason in virtually any contact with foreigners.

A detailed description of Kevin Liсk’s case and of our position is available on our website.

Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human right centre agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.

How can you help?

You can write to Kevin Lick at the following address:

In Russian: 165115, Архангельская область, Вельский район, деревня Горка Муравьёвская, ул. Спецгородок, д. 1а, ФКУ ИК-14 УФСИН России по Архангельской области, Лику Кевину Викторовичу 2005 г. р.

In English: Kevin Viktorovich Liсk (born 2005), Penal Colony No. 14, Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for Arkhangelsk Oblast, 1a Spetsgorodok Street, Gorka Muravyovskaya village, Velsky district, Arkhangelsk Oblast, 165115, Russia.

You can send an email via Zonatelecom (Russian bank cards), PrisonMail (other bank cards), or OVD-Info (free of charge).

Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the recipient.

You can donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.