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Russia: 'extremism' and 'terrorism'

The guides below are drafts: a lawyer has not reviewed them yet. This is not legal advice.

УК 205.2

Public calls for terrorism, 'justifying' or 'propagandising' terrorism

For what: Comments and posts about attacks, arson of enlistment offices, explosions, assassinations: approval, jokes, 'give the hero an award'. Approval of violence against officials or security forces. Streams, videos, reposts. Courts also treat sarcasm as 'justification'.

Penalty: Criminal, no administrative stage. Part 1: fine of 100,000 to 500,000 rubles or 2 to 5 years. Part 2 (media or internet): fine of 300,000 to 1 million rubles or 5 to 7 years. By law, 'justifying' means stating that the ideology and practice of terrorism are right and deserve support. Limitation: 6 years for part 1, 10 years for part 2.

Practice and how people are found

At least 580 people were convicted under 205.2 in 2025 (453 in 2024), most for online statements (SOVA Center, Apr 2026). 487 in H1 2026, of whom 357 under 205.2 alone, with no violent acts (First Department). OVD-Info counted 102 new speech cases in 2025, 35 of them for anti-war words.

Sverdlovsk region, September 2026: a preacher fined 500,000 rubles under 205.2 and 280.3 for a sarcastic 2023 comment under news about an enlistment office arson, plus a repost. Voronezh, 2026: a 350,000-ruble fine for a 2024 comment under a video of a missile strike. St Petersburg, 2026: 6 years for three 2023 VKontakte posts about the Freedom of Russia Legion and RDK.

Monitoring of comments under news and posts. Cases are usually heard by military courts.

More: Criminal Code, art. 205.2 (ConsultantPlus); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 10.2025 (foreign agent); First Department, 2026 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); Mediazona, 14.09.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 21.09.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 20.04.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 14.04.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus)

УК 280

Public calls for extremist activity

For what: Posts, comments and streams with 'calls' for any 'extremist activity' (a broad concept). Separately, calls to support an organisation designated 'extremist' (for example OVD-Info since 4 Jun 2026) may be charged under 280. Almost all cases concern online words.

Penalty: Criminal. Part 1: fine of 100,000 to 300,000 rubles, 4 to 6 months of arrest or up to 4 years. Part 2 (media or internet): forced labour or prison up to 5 years. Limitation period 6 years.

Practice and how people are found

Judicial Department: 138 convicted under art. 280 in H1 2025. SOVA knows of 187 verdicts against 191 people in 2025, 188 of them under part 2 (internet); 46% got prison. The Interior Ministry reported a 58% rise in registered online cases under 280 (SOVA Center, Oct 2025 and Apr 2026).

Saratov region, 2025: a conviction under 280 for a 2021 comment that the Duma and the Kremlin should be 'burned' over COVID restrictions. About 39% of cases involved ethnic xenophobia, and 25% of those convicted were also charged under 205.2 (SOVA).

Police trawl the main social networks with monitoring systems (OVD-Info).

More: Criminal Code, art. 280 (ConsultantPlus); SOVA Center, 10.2025 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist)

КоАП 20.3.2 / УК 280.1

Calls to violate Russia's territorial integrity ('separatism')

For what: Posts and comments about the status of Crimea, 'liberating the Caucasus', independence of regions and similar. Most cases concern online words.

Penalty: First administrative: art. 20.3.2 part 1 fine of 30,000 to 60,000 rubles, part 2 (internet) 70,000 to 100,000. A repeat within a year of the penalty is criminal (art. 280.1): part 1 up to 4 years, part 2 (internet or media) up to 5 years. Limitation: 1 year for 20.3.2, 6 years for 280.1.

Practice and how people are found

SOVA knows of 16 rulings under 20.3.2 in 2025, 13 over online statements, mostly about Crimea; it considers 11 of 16 clearly unlawful. SOVA knows of no verdicts under 280.1 in 2025 (Apr 2026).

A typical trigger per SOVA: statements about the status of Crimea.

Police trawl social networks with monitoring systems (OVD-Info).

More: CAO art. 20.3.2 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 280.1 (ConsultantPlus); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist)

КоАП 20.3.1 / УК 282

Inciting hatred or enmity, humiliating dignity

For what: Posts, comments and videos about ethnic groups, migrants, religion, and about 'social groups': police, officials, the military. Most cases concern online posts.

Penalty: First administrative: art. 20.3.1, fine of 10,000 to 20,000 rubles, up to 100 hours of community work or up to 15 days of arrest. Criminal art. 282 part 1 (fine of 300,000 to 500,000 rubles or 2 to 5 years) if the person is still 'considered punished' under 20.3.1 (from the decision until a year after the fine is paid) or has a conviction under 282, 280 or 282.4. Since 2025 part 1 also applies at once, with no prior fine, if the statement is 'linked to justifying or promoting violence'. Part 2 (violence, official position, group): 3 to 6 years. Limitation: 1 year for 20.3.1, 6 years for 282 part 1, 10 years for part 2.

Practice and how people are found

Almost 1,200 rulings under 20.3.1 in 2025, about 90% fines and 7% arrest. Most often for words about people from Central Asia (22%) and the Caucasus (16%); almost 15% for words about police, almost 8% about officials and authorities. SOVA knows of 44 rulings against 54 people under art. 282 in 2025; Judicial Department: 47 convicted in H1 2025. Three defendants are known under the new no-prior-fine point ('justifying violence') (SOVA Center, Apr 2026).

SOVA: about a quarter of those convicted under 282 in 2025 were tried over words related to the war in Ukraine, mostly against Russian citizens, war supporters or soldiers.

Police trawl social networks with monitoring systems (OVD-Info); complaints and denunciations.

More: CAO art. 20.3.1 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 282 (ConsultantPlus); CAO art. 4.6: how long a person is 'considered punished'; Law 294-FZ of 4 Aug 2026 (expulsion of foreigners, from 3 Nov 2026); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 09.2026 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist)

КоАП 20.3 / УК 282.4

Nazi symbols and symbols of 'extremist' organisations

For what: Symbols in a photo, avatar, post or repost: logos of FBK, Navalny HQs and Vesna, photos of Navalny, the rainbow flag (after the 'LGBT movement' was designated 'extremist'), Nazi symbols, AUE symbols; OVD-Info itself thinks its own logo probably counts too (since 2026). Old posts made before the ban are punished too. The Constitutional Court says the date of posting does not matter.

Penalty: First administrative: art. 20.3 part 1, fine of 1,000 to 2,000 rubles, up to 15 days of arrest or up to 100 hours of community work (with confiscation). A repeat while the person is still 'considered punished' (from the decision until a year after the fine is paid or arrest served): criminal art. 282.4, fine of 600,000 to 1 million rubles or up to 4 years. Not punishable where the symbol is used to criticise Nazism or extremism (note to 20.3). Limitation: 90 days for 20.3 (for a post still online, counted from discovery), 6 years for 282.4. From 3 Nov 2026 foreigners will be expelled under 20.3.

Practice and how people are found

Courts received 5,551 cases under 20.3 in 2025 (5,329 in 2024) (OVD-Info). SOVA estimates at least 4,900 people were penalised. Under 282.4, 96 people were convicted in H1 2025 and 131 in all of 2024 (SOVA Center, Apr 2026).

March 2025: the editor of a regional outlet got 14 days of arrest for five-year-old posts with NBP and Navalny HQ symbols. St Petersburg, February 2026: 10 to 12 days for holding Navalny's photo at a memorial. Dagestan, 2025: a 282.4 conviction because the person did not delete a picture he had already been fined for under 20.3.

Trawling through old pages (a post counts as a continuing offence), denunciations.

More: CAO art. 20.3 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 282.4 (ConsultantPlus); CAO art. 4.6; Law 294-FZ of 4 Aug 2026 (expulsion of foreigners, from 3 Nov 2026); OVD-Info, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 10.2025 (foreign agent); First Department, 24.06.2025 (foreign agent); Mediazona, 17.02.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); First Department, 15.05.2024 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist)

КоАП 20.29

Mass distribution of 'extremist materials'

For what: A repost, post or link to an item on the federal list of 'extremist materials' (books, images, videos, texts). An organisation being designated 'extremist' does not by itself make its materials 'extremist materials': that requires a separate court ruling and listing.

Penalty: Administrative. Fine of 1,000 to 3,000 rubles or up to 15 days of arrest, with confiscation. Covers materials on the Ministry of Justice federal list or named in the law itself (for example works of Nazi party leaders). Storing is also punishable if 'for mass distribution'. Limitation 90 days. From 3 Nov 2026 foreigners will be expelled.

Practice and how people are found

At least 301 rulings under 20.29 in 2025 (314 in 2024 per official data); almost always a fine, arrest in about 1% of cases. The share of offline distribution cases rose to 22%. Many unlawful cases concern Islamic books (SOVA Center, Apr 2026).

Moscow, 2025: a man was fined seven times under 20.29 for a portrait of Goebbels in posts criticising Ukraine's supporters: portraits of Nazi leaders are treated as banned materials.

Social media monitoring; most cases concern VKontakte posts (OVD-Info).

More: CAO art. 20.29 (ConsultantPlus); Law 114-FZ on countering extremist activity, art. 1; Law 294-FZ of 4 Aug 2026 (expulsion of foreigners, from 3 Nov 2026); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 10.2025 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 02.2025 (foreign agent, extremist)

КоАП 13.53

Searching for 'knowingly extremist materials' and accessing them, including via VPN

For what: Search queries about 'terrorist' and 'extremist' organisations and materials found when a phone is checked; the materials themselves on a device. Using a VPN is not an offence as such, but using one while committing a crime became an aggravating factor (Criminal Code art. 63).

Penalty: Administrative, since 1 Sep 2025. Fine of 3,000 to 5,000 rubles. Requires a 'deliberate search' and access to materials on the federal list or named in the law. The article does not ban VPNs as such, but VPN use is mentioned in its text. Limitation 90 days.

Practice and how people are found

First known case: Sverdlovsk region, November 2025, a 3,000-ruble fine for searching for information about Azov and RDK; the protocol gave the exact time and place of the query without saying where the data came from. SOVA knew of three cases by April 2026; at least five were known by 24 Jun 2026 (Chechnya, Kuzbass, Sverdlovsk region) (SOVA Center, OVD-Info, Mass Media Defence Centre).

A student from Sverdlovsk region: 3,000 rubles for searches about Azov and RDK (2025). Chechnya, 2026: 3,000 rubles for searching for Telegram channels of a banned movement. Kemerovo region, 2026: a 16-year-old student fined 3,000 rubles.

So far this looks like targeted checks of phones and other devices rather than automatic tracking of all searches (Mass Media Defence Centre). Russian services store user data; First Department advises using a VPN even for Gosuslugi.

More: CAO art. 13.53 (ConsultantPlus); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 07.2026 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 10.12.2025 (foreign agent, extremist); SOVA Center, 06.11.2025 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent); Mass Media Defence Centre, 24.06.2026 (foreign agent); Roskomsvoboda, 31.07.2025 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 31.07.2025 (foreign agent); First Department, 03.09.2026 (foreign agent)

КоАП 13.15

Abuse of freedom of mass information (for individuals: parts 2 and 9 to 11)

For what: Part 2: mentioning an 'extremist' or 'terrorist' organisation without noting it is banned (for example FBK, Meta, the US entity of FBK). The note can be in any wording. Parts 9 to 11: 'false socially significant information'. Part 2.1 (no 'foreign agent' label) legally targets media, but police tried to use it against an activist with no registered outlet.

Penalty: Administrative. Part 2 (mentioning an 'extremist' or 'terrorist' organisation without noting it is banned): fine of 2,000 to 2,500 rubles. Part 9 ('false socially significant information' creating a 'threat'): 30,000 to 100,000 rubles. Part 10 (disruption of facilities or a repeat of part 9): 100,000 to 300,000. Part 11 (repeat): 300,000 to 400,000. Part 2.1 (no 'foreign agent' label) applies to mass media only. Limitation 1 year.

Practice and how people are found

OVD-Info knows of cases under part 2 of art. 13.15 for mentions without the note (25 Aug 2026). Moscow, 2025: police filed a report under part 2.1 against an activist for two unlabelled reposts, although her channel is not a media outlet (OVD-Info, 14 Feb 2025).

Moscow, 2025: a report under part 2.1 for two reposts from the 'OVD-Info Live' channel.

Monitoring of channels and pages.

More: CAO art. 13.15 (ConsultantPlus); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 27.11.2025 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist)