Elections 2025: Detentions and pressure: Human rights news from Russia, court updates & analysis | 7 related articles

24.09.2025

21:40

In Perm, a major city in the Urals, the police have detained national-bolshevik activist Yevgeny Korotkov. His associates report this.

Law enforcement officers waited for the young man outside his home. Korotkov was taken to Police Station No. 6. They drew up a protocol against him for disobeying the police (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) and held him overnight in the station until his court hearing.

According to Korotkov’s associates, his detention may be linked to the “Choose Your Makhonin” campaign, which national-bolshevik activists held ahead of the recent elections. Korotkov was detained back then as well, but was released without a protocol.

27 September The Leninsky District Court of Perm fined Yevgeny Korotkov two thousand roubles (about US$22) on 25 September under the article on disobeying the police (Art. 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences). His associates report this. “The judge relied on fabricated police reports. They state that Yevgeny allegedly resisted arrest and refused to get into the car as instructed by a law enforcement officer. In fact, that is not what happened-Zhenya was grabbed right on the street and put into the car without any introduction,” they wrote.

A banner with the phrase “Choose Your Makhonin” and pictures of the candidates running in the gubernatorial elections appeared opposite the Perm Legislative Assembly on the morning of 12 September. Dmitry Makhonin is the current governor of Perm Krai and is running as the United Russia party candidate.

19.09.2025

17:33

The Hot Key City Court has fined former city council candidate Tatyana Pleshchakova two thousand roubles (approximately US$22) for disobeying the police (Article 19.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences), reports “7×7.”

On 12 September, a staff member from the mayor’s office in Goryachy Klyuch, a small resort city in southern Russia, told candidates he planned to “work with statements” during the night. Pleshchakova refused to leave the polling station, as members of the election commission remained there after closing.

The head of precinct commission No. 1039, Manana Meshcherkina, called the police. As a result, officers removed the candidate and observers from the site, while commission members stayed behind, and a protocol was drawn up against Pleshchakova.

14.09.2025

18:14

Republic of Tatarstan

In the village of Biryuli in Tatarstan, observer Aigul Nuriyeva was detained in the morning. This was reported by activist Dmitry Rumyantsev.

Nuriyeva was stopped in the street. The police accused her of illegal campaigning. After spending two hours at the police station, the observer was released, but due to the detention she was nearly three hours late for her shift at the polling station.

13.09.2025

16:32

Perm Krai

Three activists who displayed a banner criticising the lack of alternatives in the gubernatorial elections have been detained in Perm, a major city in the Urals. Anton Belyaev, the leader of the Perm branch of the National Bolsheviks, was kept at the police station awaiting a court hearing, while Yevgeny Korotkov and another underage participant in the protest have already been released, reports “Perm 36.6.”

It is known that Belyaev has been charged with violating the election quiet period (Article 5.10 of the Administrative Code), but this article only provides for a fine and does not allow detention for more than three hours-so it is probable that the police are accusing him of something else as well.

The banner, which read “Choose Your Makhonin” and showed the faces of the candidates in the gubernatorial elections, appeared opposite the Perm Legislative Assembly on the morning of 12 September. Dmitry Makhonin is the current governor of Perm Krai, running as a candidate from United Russia.

09:43

Voronezh Oblast

In Voronezh Region, an unidentified group assaulted election observer Vasily Potapov. He reported this on his Telegram channel.

“After the polling station closed at 20:35, several masked individuals jumped out of a black car without number plates just outside the station. They hit me in the face and torso with something. After I fell, one of them said: ‘Make sure you’re not here tomorrow! ’ Then they drove off,” he said. Potapov had to call an ambulance after the attack.

Potapov had come to the village of Volya in the Novousmansky District, in Voronezh Region (in south-west Russia, near the Ukrainian border), for the duration of the elections to observe the voting process. He decided to stay in a tent during his assignment. “The whole day passed without any major violations. I had complete mutual understanding with the election commission,” is how he described his first day as an observer.

He also mentioned that another observer had the tyres of their car slashed at one of the polling stations and the window smashed. “The elections are becoming more and more tense,” Potapov remarked.

12.09.2025

13:10

Telegram has blocked the “Citizen Observer” project bot used to record election violations, the project’s Telegram channel reports.

Volunteers had launched a service where voters could send photos and videos of violations at polling stations. However, before voting even began, the bot became unavailable: the messenger stated that it “violates Telegram’s rules.”

The bot’s developers said they have contacted technical support, but have not yet received a response.

12:27

Perm Krai

Students from several educational institutions in Perm have reported being forced to vote in the elections, according to Perm 36.6.

According to students, since the beginning of September, many institutions have been requiring them to confirm their participation in voting with a screenshot or a photo.

At the medical college, students were required to provide proof of voting: those who applied for electronic voting were asked to send a screenshot to the group chat, while those planning to vote in person were asked to send a photo from the polling station.

At the College of Entrepreneurship and Service, students were made to register on the Gosuslugi portal and vote through the remote electronic voting system. At the same time, the option of voting in the traditional manner formally remained available.

A student from the Lysva Polytechnic College, in Lysva-a city in Perm Krai, western Russia-said they were pressured about a week ago to register for electronic voting and to report on their voting. They refused and said they would vote in person, but the administration is still demanding photo proof and insists that voting should take place on the first day of the elections.

The pressure is not only on students: staff at the Perm ambulance service are also reporting that their management recommends voting on the first day of the elections.

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Elections 2025: Detentions and pressure

14.09.2025

24.09.2025

19.09.2025

14.09.2025

13.09.2025

12.09.2025