Another Russian Teenager Sentenced

In Khabarovsk Krai, a 15-year-old boy has been sentenced to 4.5 years in a correctional colony for participating in a "terrorist organization."

According to the independent publication Mediazona, the case against the boy was based on his correspondence with a secret witness and a video filmed by the same witness, which shows teenagers throwing a Molotov cocktail at the wall of an abandoned building.

The arrest of then-14-year-old Valery Zaitsev was made public in October 2023. Zaitsev was apprehended at a tuberculosis dispensary in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where he had been receiving treatment for several months. The prosecution alleged that Zaitsev had “sought instructions on working with explosives and preparing Molotov cocktails,” “conducted tests and prepared incendiary devices,” and “tested them in deserted locations, posting the results in a Telegram group.” Mediazona reported that his arrest may have been prompted by a video, later posted to his Telegram channel, which shows three teenagers throwing Molotov cocktails at the wall of an abandoned building.

Zaitsev’s grandmother said the teenager was deeply troubled by Russia's War on Ukraine. “He said he was against the war,” she told Mediazona. According to his grandmother, Zaitsev posted something about the war on the internet.

The trial was held behind closed doors. Zaitsev’s grandmother said a secret witness testified against her grandson, and that formed the basis of the charges. She recalled previously seeing this man during a confrontation in which she was present as her grandson’s legal representative. In court, the "witness" testified via video conference with the camera turned off, but Zaitsev’s grandmother recognized his voice. She believes her grandson was “provoked” and “set up.”

Zaitsev’s grandmother also claimed a provocateur filmed the video featuring the Molotov cocktail. “The provocateurs brought this gasoline, showed how to do everything, and Valery posted it,” she told the journalist. She suspects this provocateur may have been working for the FSB.

The case of Valery Zaitsev is not the first in which FSB-affiliated provocateurs have been mentioned. In particular, an FSB provocateur was involved in the case of Valeria Zotova, who was accused of attempting to set fire to a government building.

Zaitsev is also not the only Russian teenager with anti-war views to be imprisoned. According to journalists from Novaya Gazeta Evropa, at least nine teenagers who spoke out against the war are currently serving sentences in correctional colonies, with sentences ranging from 3.5 to 6 years.