Vitaly Zaitsev is a political prisoner
A resident of Tula was sentenced to two years’ compulsory work in custody for three online comments about Russia’s war against Ukraine
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Vitaly Zaitsev a political prisoner. Zaitsev was convicted on charges of making public calls to engage in extremist and terrorist activities for anti-war posts on the VK social media site. Zaitsev’s criminal prosecution and conviction violated his rights to freedom of expression and a fair trial. We demand the immediate release of Vitaly Zaytsev and that all criminal charges against him be dropped.
What were the charges against Vitaly Zaitsev?
On 2 May 2024, Vitaly Zaitsev from Tula was fined 60,000 roubles and sentenced to five days in jail under administrative law for online comments which were allegedly disrespectful towards law enforcement officers and the president of Russia. After serving the term in jail, Zaitsev was detained again on a criminal charge and was remanded in custody.
The criminal case against Zaytsev was based on comments he had posted on VK in 2022 about Russia’s war against Ukraine. He was initially charged with making calls to engage in extremism (Article 280, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code). Later, an additional charge of making calls to engage in terrorism was added (Article 205.2, Part 2).
According to the prosecution, Zaitsev called for the killing of ‘citizens of Russia, ethnic Russians, service personnel in the Russian armed forces, and the president of the Russian Federation.’
On 19 August 2024, Zaitsev was sentenced to two years of compulsory work in custody and a fine of 250,000 roubles. On appeal, the court increased the fine to 390,000 roubles.
Why do we consider Vitaly Zaitsev a political prisoner?
Both offences for which Zaitsev was convicted are frequently used by the Russian authorities against dissenters, including opponents of the war against Ukraine.
While we do not know the full content of Zaitsev’s comments, the available excerpts show that he addressed Ukrainians and spoke about Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine. In this context, Putin is a legitimate target for the Ukrainian military. A call for the killing of Russian soldiers cannot be considered a call to engage in extremism, as they are participating in an armed conflict and are legitimate military targets for the Ukrainian armed forces.
At the same time, even if Zaitsev’s comments could technically be considered to represent some slight danger to society, they would not warrant criminal prosecution. Moreover, criticism of the war of aggression is beneficial to society. Calls made by pro-government propagandists with massive audiences to engage in genuinely dangerous actions are never criminally prosecuted. In comparison, sentencing someone to what is effectively a term of imprisonment for three comments on VK is selective and disproportionate, highlighting the political nature of the prosecution.
A detailed description of Vitaly Zaitsev’s case and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves of, their views, statements, or actions.
How can you help?
If you have information as to where Vitaly Zaitsev is being held, please contact our Telegram bot or email us at [email protected].
You can donate to help all political prisoners in Russia on our website.
