In 2023, at least 101 people in Russia became involved in criminal cases under articles of treason (275 Criminal Code), espionage (276 Criminal Code) and cooperation with foreign states or organizations (275.1 Criminal Code), Mediazona found out after studying all published materials on such cases by the courts.
Many materials in this category of cases are designated as “hidden”, so the actual number of defendants may be higher. According to the human rights project “First Department”, since the beginning of the year, the courts of first instance have received 63 cases under the article on treason and seven cases under the article on cooperation with foreigners. In 37 cases, verdicts have already been passed — all of them are guilty.
The “First Department” notes that, unlike previous years, in 2023, cases of treason began to be considered en masse not only in Moscow, but also in the regions, for example, in the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (nine cases) , Belgorod Regional Court (seven cases), Krasnodar Regional Court (six cases) and the Central District Military Court in Yekaterinburg (six cases).
According to Mediazona's calculations, more than 70% of this category of cases are now considered outside of Moscow — at the scene of the alleged crime, but arrests, as a rule, occur in the capital. Those involved in cases of treason and espionage are most often sent under arrest to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center in Moscow, in the same building as the Federal Investigation Department of the FSB. » class=»mz-publish-context-cite__image» alt=»1″ />«Not to imprison a specific person, but to effectively intimidate the population.» What is considered treason in 2023