Russian Man Sent to Psychiatric Hospital After Declaring Putin 'Wanted' on Public Leaflet

St. Petersburg, Russia – July 3, 2025 – A 39-year-old St. Petersburg resident, Grigory Ivanenko, has been ordered to undergo compulsory treatment in a specialized psychiatric hospital after he publicly declared Russian President Vladimir Putin "wanted" and offered a reward for his capture. The Krasnoselsky District Court handed down the ruling in a case described as hooliganism motivated by political hatred.

Ivanenko was detained on May 31, 2024, following an incident where he affixed an A4 leaflet to a stand at the Krasnoselsky district military commissariat. The leaflet announced that Vladimir Putin was "wanted" and promised a reward of one million rubles (approximately $11,000 USD) to anyone who would assist in his apprehension.

According to reports from "Memorial," a human rights organization, the leaflet featured an image of a person in a prison uniform, which police deemed to resemble Vladimir Putin. The text on the announcement labeled the president a "dangerous state criminal" and listed several "special distinguishing features." These included descriptions such as "a pompous dwarf, loud, malicious/vindictive, and extremely indifferent/disdainful to the opinions of those around him." The leaflet also reportedly listed various nicknames for Putin, including "VVP, Toilet Grave-digger, Kabaev, Alpha Male, Great Pu, and Botox."

During the preliminary investigation, Ivanenko was initially held in a pre-trial detention center. In September 2024, a forensic psychiatric examination concluded that he "suffers from a chronic mental disorder in the form of a chronic delusional disorder." Following this diagnosis, he was transferred to a psychiatric inpatient facility by court order.

"Memorial" has voiced concerns regarding the political nature of the persecution. They note that the experts' conclusion, which led to Ivanenko's forced hospitalization, cited signs of mental disorder such as "active struggle for the restoration of supposedly trampled justice" and "litigious activity." The organization suggests these descriptions further indicate the political motivation behind the charges and the subsequent psychiatric detention.

The court's decision to mandate compulsory psychiatric treatment for Ivanenko underscores the ongoing concerns about the use of psychiatric evaluations in cases involving political dissent in Russia.