Russia terrorism convictions double to record high, rights groups say

The number of people convicted on terrorism-related charges in Russia doubled last year to a record high of 2,078, according to a joint report by human rights groups.

Research by the First Department rights project and Parubets Analytics found that convictions under Russia's terrorism laws in 2025 were the highest recorded since the country's current criminal code was introduced in 1996.

In 2024, Russian courts convicted 1,021 people under the same statutes.

Official figures from the Judicial Department of Russia's Supreme Court have not yet been published. Researchers compiled the data from court registries, state agency press releases, and media reports.

According to the report, courts issued at least 1,776 verdicts under Articles 205 to 205.5 of the Criminal Code.

The single most common charge was Article 205.2, which penalises public calls for, justification of, or promotion of terrorism. A total of 889 people — almost half of those convicted — were prosecuted under this provision.

At least 630 of those convicted were Ukrainian citizens, including both prisoners of war and civilians, representing about a third of the total.

Human rights organization Memorial identified indicators of politically motivated prosecution in 929 cases, amounting to roughly 45% of the overall total.

The authors of the report said sentences imposed under terrorism charges are now comparable in severity to those handed down for high treason.

More than half of the convicts whose sentences are known were given terms ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment. Courts handed down 15 life sentences, while the youngest person convicted was aged 14.