Anti-war blogger Sergey Veselov from Shuya has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for allegedly calling for terrorism and "confidential cooperation with a foreign state." Taking into account a prior conviction for “discrediting the army,” his total prison term is now 8 years.
The latest charges were based on a Telegram repost urging Russians to join the "Freedom of Russia" Legion and a private conversation with someone identified by investigators as a Ukrainian intelligence agent. The prosecution claimed Veselov had passed on sensitive information — but no concrete proof was presented in court.
His defense argued that the Telegram channel could have had multiple administrators and that Veselov was not shown to have engaged in any illegal activity or foreign cooperation. Nonetheless, he was found guilty under Article 205.2 Part 2 (public calls for terrorism via the internet) and Article 275.1 (confidential cooperation with a foreign state) of Russia’s Criminal Code.
Veselov had already been sentenced in 2023 to 2 years and 1 month in a settlement colony for a YouTube video comparing Putin’s regime to Nazism. Before that, he was fined for spray-painting “No to war” on a local government building, ordered to perform community service for allegedly insulting a judge, and fined again for other anti-war videos.
In total, Veselov has faced a wave of prosecutions for his outspoken anti-war views.
Human rights advocates are particularly concerned about the repeated use of punitive solitary confinement (SHIZO) against Veselov during his pretrial detention. His family believes this is retaliation for his complaints about prison conditions and his refusal to stay silent.
Despite all the charges, Veselov maintains his innocence and insists he never incited violence. His supporters see his prosecution as politically motivated — a crackdown on free speech and peaceful dissent.
When I read about cases like this, I can’t shake off the feeling of helplessness and shame — shame that people with a voice, with a conscience, with the courage to speak the truth are simply erased from public life. Eight years — not for a crime, but for refusing to stay silent.
I don’t know Veselov personally, but his story deeply resonates with me. It speaks to everyone who has ever dared to say “No” in a country where such words are met with prison sentences. And that is terrifying.
O.Ivanenko
