October 14, 2026

A Spike of Suppression


A Spike of Suppression
Careful who your friends are. The Russian Life files.

A new report from Russian human rights organization Memorial reveals that the number of court cases involving affiliation with banned organizations rose by 50% in the first nine months of 2026.

The number of the accused so far this year stands at 328, up from 219.

The prosecuted represent members of a diverse range of organizations, most of them longtime targets of the regime. The top affiliation to see a crackdown is the late Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, which saw an increase of 107%, up from 69 to 143 people. Next is the Jehovah's Witnesses, up 102%, reaching 91 people this year. In third place is the somewhat bizarre Soviet revivalist "Citizens of the USSR" movement, up 117% to reach 29 people.

In addition, the number of people accused of financing extremist activities rocketed up 117%, from 77 to 167. And 67% of these cases fall under the jurisdiction of the FSB, Russia's internal security service.

Experts argue that the numbers tell an interesting story, as the overall count of political prosecutions is holding steady year-over-year. Their theory is that the regime is targeting organized groups rather than individuals, seeking to dismantle structures rather than private citizens.

 

 

 

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