A court in Saransk, Republic of Mordovia, has sentenced 69-year-old human rights activist Sergey Maryin to one year in a penal colony settlement for repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian military under Article 280.3, Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code. The court also imposed a two-year ban on managing online platforms and publishing any materials on the internet. The prosecution had requested a harsher sentence of 1.5 years.
What Sparked the Criminal Case
The case against Maryin stems from a post on VKontakte (a Russian social network) and a solo anti-war protest he held on February 24, 2024 — marking the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In his post, he wrote:
“Today marks the ninth day since the death of Alexei Navalny — labeled a foreign agent, terrorist, and extremist by Putin. Today is also the anniversary of the war against Ukraine. According to Putin, denazification means killing all Ukrainians.”
Maryin also held a sign mourning Navalny and expressing criticism of the war. Authorities claimed he was repeatedly spreading information discrediting the military.
This was not Maryin’s first clash with authorities:
- In 2022, he was fined 40,000 rubles for anti-war commentary.
- That same year, he spent eight days in jail over a post listing anti-war protests across Russian cities.
- In September 2023, he was detained for an anti-war protest at a war memorial in Saransk.
The criminal case was launched in summer 2024. After a search and interrogation, Maryin was released under a travel ban.
Flawed Expert Opinions and Questionable Witnesses
The prosecution’s case relied on:
- A linguistic and psychological expert report by two employees of the Ministry of Justice’s forensic lab in Mordovia — linguist Oksana Soboleva and psychologist Sergey Shilkin.
- Soboleva flagged Maryin’s use of the word “war” and his spelling of “Putin” with a lowercase letter.
- Shilkin concluded that Maryin’s post expressed “a negative attitude toward the special military operation” and tried to convince readers that the war aimed to kill civilians and that “denazification” was a false pretext.
Both experts testified in court but reportedly failed to explain basic concepts. Maryin’s lawyer recalled the psychologist nearly fainting when asked to define “discreditation.”
In response, the defense submitted an independent analysis by philologist Elena Novozhilova, who found no signs of military discreditation in the post or protest sign.
The main witness for the prosecution was 29-year-old Yevgeny Pankratov, a passerby who reported Maryin to the police. On his VKontakte profile, Pankratov shares photos in camouflage and with weapons, and reposts far-right neo-pagan content, including imagery of the kolovrat symbol and slogans like “I am Russian.” One of his older profiles even used the description “S.K.I.N.H.E.A.D.”
Another witness, Viktor Shchankin, who did not attend the trial due to hospitalization, stated during the investigation that he monitored Maryin’s social media and disagreed with his views.
Maryin's Testimony and the Court’s Decision
On March 11, Maryin testified in court. He said:
“Putin, to me, is associated with death — including the death of Alexei Navalny, whom the state labels a terrorist. I reminded the court of Boris Nemtsov, murdered near the Kremlin, and journalist Anna Politkovskaya, killed on Putin’s birthday. All that is wrong in this country flows from Putin. The state is descending into a new kind of empire.”
Maryin admitted his lawyer was uncomfortable with his blunt speech, but said he simply told the truth.
At the prosecution’s request, Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Saraykin demanded a 1.5-year sentence and a ban on Maryin’s online activity. He did not specify the length of the ban, although Russian law limits such restrictions to five years maximum.
Maryin came to court with a packed bag, expecting to be taken into custody immediately. Instead, the verdict was postponed. The next day, he posted:
“If you’re going to take away my access to the internet, you might as well shoot me now. Better 10 years in prison than life without the ability to communicate.”
The Verdict
On March 25, 2025, Judge Alexey Konyashkin sentenced Maryin to:
- 1 year in a penal colony settlement
- 2 years banned from posting online or managing web communities
Maryin had pleaded not guilty and asked to be acquitted.
The Bigger Picture: War Censorship in Russia
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the government has aggressively prosecuted anti-war speech. New laws criminalize “discrediting the armed forces” or spreading so-called “fake news” about the military. Sentences can reach up to 15 years in prison.
Independent reporting on the war is effectively banned. Military censorship forces media outlets to adopt only the Kremlin’s narrative — or risk closure, fines, or criminal prosecution.
Maryin’s case is one of many. Peaceful protest, critical opinion, or even calling the war a war can now land a Russian citizen behind bars.
