State repression in Russia expands, with hundreds of minors facing terrorism charges

Vitalina Prening, a 16-year-old from Novosibirsk, has been accused in Russia of preparing a terrorist attack, membership in a terrorist organization and participation in terrorist training, Russian media report.

On August 10, her name was added to the register of people whom the Russian authorities classify as terrorists, while the exact details of the charges against her have not been made public.

People who know Prening have described her on social media as a talented teenager passionate about drawing, singing and sport dancing, as well as someone who took part in state-backed public activities.

Her case is not an exception.

Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hundreds of Russian teenagers have faced charges of terrorism, sabotage, extremism or treason.

According to human rights activists, the prosecution, arrest and imprisonment of minors are part of an increasingly broad campaign to crack down on opposition to the authorities during the war.

“Much greater repressive activity”

Department One, a legal and human rights organization based in exile that specializes in defending Russians accused of treason and espionage, said in a July report that at least 779 minors appear on Russia’s register of terrorists and extremists. Around 97 percent of them were added to the list after 2022.

The register includes not only people convicted of criminal offenses, but also individuals who have been officially declared suspects or who face active charges.

Human rights organization Memorial said that at least 124 minors in Russia are currently facing politically motivated criminal proceedings.

Human rights groups note that minors are increasingly being investigated under controversial anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws. In many cases, the proceedings take place away from the public and behind closed doors.

The charges range from anti-war activism and criticism of the authorities online to claims that Ukrainian intelligence services recruited teenagers through social media to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks in Russia.

Sergei Davidis, who heads Memorial’s project supporting political prisoners, told RFE/RL that the war has brought an escalation of political repression in Russia.

“The state displays much greater repressive activity in wartime,” Davidis said.

Arrested after distributing leaflets

Arseny Turbin is one of the minors caught up in this wave of prosecutions. He was 15 when he was arrested in 2023.

Turbin had distributed leaflets opposing President Vladimir Putin, opened a Telegram channel called “Free Russia” and published photos of himself with the white-blue-white flag, a symbol used by Russian protesters against the war.

Irina Turbina, his mother, said that her son told investigators he considered Russia the aggressor in the war.

During a closed trial, a Russian court sentenced Turbin to five years in prison in 2024. Two years later, the authorities opened a new case against him, accusing him of participating in disturbances at the penal colony where he was being held.

Ivan Maltsev, 14, is believed to be the youngest minor currently listed on Russia’s register of terrorists and extremists. He was accused of attempting to set fire to a police vehicle, a claim his father has denied.

Maltsev lives in the Siberian city of Barnaul and turned 14 in June. In Russia, this is the minimum age of criminal responsibility for serious offenses, including terrorism.

“An atmosphere of fear”

Human rights activists allege that Russian security structures use provocative methods against minors.

Dmitry Zair-Bek, head of Department One, told RFE/RL that young people are encouraged to form groups and write harsh statements, while they are provoked with comments designed to make them react.

According to Zair-Bek, security officials then steer these vulnerable young people toward an action that can officially be classified as a criminal offense, thereby creating grounds for opening a case against them.

“What is monstrous is that children and teenagers are being persecuted for things for which they should not be persecuted at all,” he said, referring to “thoughtless jokes” on social media, messages on school forums and conversations during computer games.

Olga Romanova, head of the civil rights group Russia Behind Bars, told RFE/RL that the secrecy surrounding terrorism cases gives Russian security authorities the opportunity to impose harsher sentences.

“Terrorism cases, investigations and trials are completely closed,” Romanova said. “It is said to involve classified information, so there is no need to prove anything.”

Zair-Bek believes that the increase in these criminal cases also serves a broader purpose: spreading fear throughout society.

“The entire atmosphere of fear that is being created, including through the mass opening of terrorism and extremism cases, is linked to the fact that repression works in our time, in the 21st century, only when it is constantly intensified,” he said. / RFE/RL