← What you can be punished for online: a map of offences

Russia: money and designated organisations

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

УК 282.1

Organising or taking part in an extremist community

For what: Creating or joining a group for 'extremist crimes'. Applied to online speech less often than 282.2; shared chats and groups that investigators call a 'community' can be the trigger.

Penalty: Criminal. Creating or leading: fine of 400,000 to 800,000 rubles or 6 to 10 years. Recruiting: up to 8 years. Taking part (part 2): fine of 300,000 to 600,000 rubles, forced labour or 2 to 6 years. Limitation period 10 years.

Practice and how people are found

We found no verified 2025 and 2026 figures for art. 282.1 over speech.

No verified anonymised examples.

No verified data.

More: Criminal Code, art. 282.1 (ConsultantPlus)

УК 282.2

Organising or taking part in the activity of an 'extremist' organisation

For what: 'Taking part' in an organisation designated 'extremist' (FBK, Navalny HQs, the 'international LGBT movement', OVD-Info since 4 Jun 2026 and others): volunteering, interviews, joint posts. At least three known cases where reposts were treated as 'participation'. Asking people to help such an organisation may be treated as 'involvement' (part 1.1).

Penalty: Criminal. Part 1 (organising): fine of 400,000 to 800,000 rubles or 6 to 10 years. Part 1.1 (inducing, recruiting, involving): 4 to 8 years. Part 2 (taking part): fine of 300,000 to 600,000 rubles, forced labour or 2 to 6 years. A first-time participant who voluntarily stops is exempt if there is no other crime. Limitation period 10 years.

Practice and how people are found

Judicial Department: 76 verdicts under part 1 and 142 under part 2 of art. 282.2 in H1 2025 (via OVD-Info, 30 Jan 2026). OVD-Info knows of at least three cases where reposts were treated as participation (25 Aug 2026). SOVA knows of six people convicted over the 'LGBT movement' in 2025. Vykhod: courts treat posts calling to fight for LGBT rights as 'participation'. In June 2026 the 'international Memorial movement' with 35 'subdivisions' and the Vykhod group were added to the list.

Nizhny Novgorod, 2026: a man was remanded under art. 282.2 part 2; posts and reposts in his Telegram channel were treated as 'participation' in FBK. Karachay-Cherkessia, 2025: 2.5 years for comments, including in the comment chat of someone else's Telegram channel, that the court deemed 'LGBT' propaganda.

Monitoring of channels and pages, seized phones, payment data.

More: Criminal Code, art. 282.2 (ConsultantPlus); Russian Ministry of Justice: list of 'extremist' organisations; OVD-Info, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); Radio Svoboda, 04.03.2026 (foreign agent, undesirable); Coming Out (Vykhod), 26.12.2025 (foreign agent, extremist); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); SOVA Center, 07.2026 (foreign agent)

УК 282.3

Financing extremist activity

For what: Any transfer to an 'extremist' organisation: a donation, a recurring payment, buying merchandise, from any card, in any currency, of any amount. Police treat paid Telegram reactions ('stars') as money transfers. Donations made before the designation should not be punishable by law.

Penalty: Criminal. Part 1: fine of 300,000 to 700,000 rubles, forced labour or 3 to 8 years. The amount does not matter. Limitation period 10 years.

Practice and how people are found

By April 2026 at least 225 criminal cases over donations to FBK; 131 reached courts in 2025. Of 167 known verdicts, 114 were fines and over 85% of those convicted avoided prison (Mediazona, 21 Apr 2026). SOVA confirms 86 people convicted in 2025 for donations to Navalny's organisations. FBK donations from 5 Aug 2021 to 11 Feb 2026 are charged under 282.3; after that date 205.1 is possible (OVD-Info).

Kaliningrad: 4 months in a penal colony for a 300-ruble transfer to FBK. Yekaterinburg, 2026: a 500,000-ruble fine for 1,500 rubles donated in 2021; the seized phone showed subscriptions to OVD-Info and Navalny team channels. Donations in all known cases total about 400,000 rubles, fines almost 40 million (Mediazona).

Centrally: Rosfinmonitoring and the security services check who paid into the fund's account. Transfers from foreign cards come to light when the phone is accessed at the border.

More: Criminal Code, art. 282.3 (ConsultantPlus); Mediazona, 21.04.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); Mediazona, 25.03.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 06.04.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 24.09.2026 (foreign agent, extremist)

УК 205.1

Assisting terrorist activity, including financing terrorism (part 1.1)

For what: Money to a 'terrorist' organisation or for 'terrorism'. Since 27 Nov 2025 the US entity of FBK (Anti-Corruption Foundation, Inc) is designated 'terrorist', so new donations to it count as financing terrorism. Paid Telegram reactions ('stars') under posts count as money transfers.

Penalty: Criminal. Part 1.1 (including financing terrorism): 8 to 15 years or life. No limitation period (art. 78 part 5 of the Criminal Code).

Practice and how people are found

Tyumen, September 2026: 8 years (the minimum under part 1.1) for 130 'stars' worth 292.99 rubles under posts in several journalists' and bloggers' Telegram channels (Mediazona, 23 Sep 2026). Arkhangelsk, August 2026: 8 years for trying to send 500 rubles to the 'Freedom of Russia' Legion; the bank itself blocked the transfer (Mediazona). Since July 2026 the first treason cases over 'stars' sent to RDK and 'Freedom of Russia' Legion channels are known (Meduza, 10 Jul 2026). OVD-Info: donations to FBK made before the ruling should not count as financing terrorism, but police actions cannot be predicted.

A 58-year-old Tyumen resident: 8 years for paid reactions under news posts (2026).

Payment service and bank data, the phone on arrest or at the border.

More: Criminal Code, art. 205.1 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 78: limitation periods; FSB: unified list of 'terrorist' organisations; OVD-Info, 27.11.2025 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent); Mediazona, 23.09.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Mediazona, 14.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); Meduza, 10.07.2026 (foreign agent, undesirable); OVD-Info, 24.09.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); First Department, 08.04.2026 (foreign agent)

КоАП 20.33 / УК 284.1

Taking part in the activity of an 'undesirable' organisation

For what: A repost, link or retelling of material from an 'undesirable' organisation (many émigré outlets and foundations); an interview or comment to such an outlet under your own name; a donation, 'stars' or a purchase (criminal part 2 at once). Reading, following, liking, commenting and forwarding in private messages are not yet banned per OVD-Info, except Odnoklassniki 'likes', which count as reposts. Old reposts made before the designation are punished too; old donations are not.

Penalty: First administrative: art. 20.33, fine of 5,000 to 15,000 rubles. A repeat while 'considered punished', or with a prior conviction: art. 284.1 part 1, fine of 300,000 to 500,000 rubles or 1 to 4 years. Financing (part 2) is criminal at once, with no prior fine: up to 5 years. Organising (part 3): 2 to 6 years. Limitation: 2 years for 20.33, 6 years for 284.1 parts 1 and 2.

Practice and how people are found

227 cases under 20.33 reached courts in 2025 (251 in 2024). At least 32 criminal cases under 284.1 in 2025: 3 for participation, 15 for financing, 13 for organising. In late 2025 a 20.33 protocol was issued for the first time over retelling material with no links or reposts (OVD-Info, 30 Jan 2026).

Moscow, 2025: a 20.33 report for two reposts from the 'Meduza LIVE' channel. Perm region, 2025: a 70-year-old woman got 250 hours of community work under art. 284.1 part 2 for transfers to an 'undesirable' religious centre.

Monitoring of channels and pages. Arts. 20.33 and 284.1 also cover acts abroad.

More: CAO art. 20.33 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 284.1 (ConsultantPlus); Law 294-FZ of 4 Aug 2026 (expulsion of foreigners, from 3 Nov 2026); OVD-Info, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 14.02.2025 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 05.08.2025 (foreign agent, extremist); First Department, 01.08.2025 (foreign agent)

КоАП 19.34 / УК 330.1

Breaking 'foreign agent' rules; for readers: unlabelled reposts (art. 19.5 part 42)

For what: For the 'foreign agent': a post without the label, a missing report. For readers: following, reading and donating to 'foreign agents' are safe per OVD-Info. But for a repost, link or quote of a 'foreign agent' without the label, the Ministry of Justice can issue a warning; if the post is not deleted or labelled within 2 months, a court fines 30,000 to 50,000 rubles under CAO art. 19.5 part 42.

Penalty: Applies to the 'foreign agent' (and heads of its group), not to readers. 19.34: fine of 30,000 to 50,000 rubles for individuals. Criminal art. 330.1 part 2 (up to 2 years) if the person is still 'considered punished' under 19.34; since 2025 one fine is enough. Of these rules, a reader risks art. 19.5 part 42: failing to comply with a Ministry of Justice warning, fine of 30,000 to 50,000 rubles. Limitation: 1 year for 19.34, 2 years for 330.1 parts 1 and 2.

Practice and how people are found

Courts received 1,058 cases under 19.34 in 2025 (OVD-Info, 30 Jan 2026). Kazan, 2025: a teacher fined 30,000 rubles under art. 19.5 part 42 for a Women's Day greeting quoting a 'foreign agent' singer and linking her album (Mediazona, 11 Apr 2025).

Kazan, 2025: a 30,000-ruble fine for an unlabelled quote and link on Odnoklassniki.

Warnings are issued by the Ministry of Justice. Mediazona: no protocol can be drawn up over content that is not public, so a private profile helps.

More: CAO art. 19.34 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 330.1 (ConsultantPlus); CAO art. 19.5 part 42 (ConsultantPlus); OVD-Info, 30.01.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); OVD-Info, 25.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist); Mediazona, 11.04.2025 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); SOVA Center, 04.2026 (foreign agent)

УК 275 / 275.1

Treason and 'confidential cooperation' with foreigners

For what: Donations to Ukrainian foundations or the army (even humanitarian ones, if the fund later bought items for soldiers), transfers to people met online, Telegram 'stars' to RDK or 'Freedom of Russia' Legion channels, sending photos or videos (for example of drone strike aftermath) to Ukrainian chat bots or 'handlers', chats with 'representatives' of Ukrainian intelligence. For 275.1, contact or spreading their materials is enough.

Penalty: Criminal. Art. 275: 12 to 20 years or life. It covers 'financial, consultative or other assistance' to a foreign state or organisation 'in activity against security'. Art. 275.1: 3 to 8 years for 'confidential cooperation' with the same aim. Limitation: 15 years for 275, 10 years for 275.1.

Practice and how people are found

In 2025 at least 478 people were convicted of treason or espionage, 38 of them under 275.1. 284 people in H1 2026, more than in all pre-war years combined. About 10% of cases are for donations to Ukrainian organisations and about 10% for correspondence or 'contacts' (First Department).

Sverdlovsk region: 12 years for 100 zloty to Caritas. A student: 12 years for two transfers of 1,450 rubles to someone online who claimed to be Ukrainian. Ryazan region, 2026: 17 years after chatting with an FSB officer posing as Ukrainian intelligence.

The FSB learns of transfers from Russian cards via Rosfinmonitoring, and of donations from foreign cards usually through phone checks at the border. FSB provocateurs befriend people in anti-war VKontakte and Telegram groups.

More: Criminal Code, art. 275 (ConsultantPlus); Criminal Code, art. 275.1 (ConsultantPlus); First Department, 08.06.2026 (foreign agent); First Department, 01.09.2026 (foreign agent); First Department, 12.2025 (foreign agent); First Department, 2025 (foreign agent); Mediazona, 03.08.2026 (foreign agent, extremist materials in Belarus); First Department, 14.11.2024 (foreign agent); First Department, 13.07.2026 (foreign agent); First Department, 16.04.2024 (foreign agent); Meduza, 10.07.2026 (foreign agent, undesirable)