Glossary of terms

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

Questioning, a 'talk' (opros, beseda): A conversation with the police or the FSB with no criminal case and no procedural status. By law it is voluntary; in practice a refusal sometimes leads to a report for disobeying the police, so decide with a lawyer how to refuse.
Being taken to a police station (dostavlenie): Being brought to a police station by force so that a report can be drawn up (art. 27.2 of the Administrative Code). It is not yet detention but often turns into it; ask for a copy of the report.
Administrative detention (administrativnoe zaderzhanie): Short-term restriction of liberty in an administrative offence case (art. 27.3 of the Administrative Code). Usually up to 3 hours, and up to 48 hours for offences that can be punished with jail (art. 27.5).
Administrative offence report (protokol): The key document in an administrative case: the court decides on a fine or jail based on it (art. 28.2 of the Administrative Code). Read all of it, write your disagreement in the 'explanations' field, cross out empty fields and ask for a copy.
Defender in an administrative case: The person who defends you in an administrative case (art. 25.5 of the Administrative Code). It can be a lawyer or any other person you trust.
Administrative arrest, 'days' (sutki): A jail sentence under the Administrative Code imposed by a judge: up to 15 days, or up to 30 days for protest-related and a few other offences (art. 3.9). It is served in a special detention centre, and time already spent in detention counts towards it.
Article 51 of the Constitution: The right not to testify against yourself, your spouse or close relatives. You can invoke it with the police, during questioning and in court; rights groups usually advise saying nothing until you have seen a lawyer.
Motion, written request (khodataystvo): A written request to an investigator, the police or a court: to admit your lawyer, add a document to the file, give you a copy. Submit two copies and ask for a receipt stamp on yours.
Witness (svidetel): A person questioned in someone else's case or a case that is not yet clear (art. 56 of the Criminal Procedure Code). By law a witness must testify but may invoke Article 51 of the Constitution and bring a lawyer; in practice witnesses are sometimes later made suspects.
Suspect (podozrevaemy): A person against whom a case has been opened, who has been detained on suspicion, or who is under a restrictive measure before being charged (art. 46 of the Criminal Procedure Code). From that moment you have the right to a lawyer and the right to remain silent.
Detention of a suspect (zaderzhanie): Detention in a criminal case (art. 91 of the Criminal Procedure Code). Without a court decision you can be held for up to 48 hours; then a court releases you, orders a restrictive measure or extends the detention (arts. 94 and 108).
Temporary holding facility (IVS): A police holding facility. People are kept there for the first days after arrest in a criminal case, until they are moved to a pre-trial detention centre (SIZO).
Accused, charged person (obvinyaemy): A person formally charged by an investigator (art. 47 of the Criminal Procedure Code). If a suspect is detained or under a restrictive measure, the charge must come within 10 days, or 45 days for some 'terrorism' articles (art. 100).
Defendant (podsudimy): An accused person whose case has been sent to court and scheduled for trial (art. 47 of the Criminal Procedure Code).
Convicted person (osuzhdyonny): A person against whom a court has handed down a guilty verdict (art. 47 of the Criminal Procedure Code). While an appeal is pending the sentence can still change: 'convicted' is not the same as 'the sentence has taken effect'.
Restrictive (preventive) measure (mera presecheniya): A restriction for the duration of the investigation and trial: a written undertaking not to leave, a ban on certain actions, bail, house arrest or custody (art. 98 of the Criminal Procedure Code). A court order for custody can be appealed within 3 days (art. 108).
Undertaking not to leave (podpiska o nevyezde): A restrictive measure: you may not leave your place of residence without the investigator's or court's permission (art. 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code). By law an accused person is also barred from leaving Russia (art. 15 of Law 114-FZ). Breaching the undertaking is not a separate crime, but it leads to a stricter measure, often arrest in absentia and a wanted notice.
Pre-trial detention centre, custody (SIZO): The strictest restrictive measure: the person is held in a pre-trial detention centre until the verdict. Initially up to 2 months, then extended by a court, during investigation of grave and especially grave cases up to 12 and even 18 months (art. 109 of the Criminal Procedure Code); in practice most extensions are approved.
House arrest (domashny arest): A restrictive measure: you live at home under bans set by the court (going out, contacts, phone, internet), often with an ankle tag (art. 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code). Two days of house arrest count as one day in custody (art. 72 of the Criminal Code).
Retained lawyer (advokat po soglasheniyu): A lawyer you or your family hire under a contract (art. 50 of the Criminal Procedure Code); relatives can sign the contract without you. By law a lawyer with a warrant must be admitted; in practice lawyers are sometimes kept from a detainee for hours, which is worth recording in complaints.
Appointed lawyer (advokat po naznacheniyu): A lawyer appointed by the investigator or court if you have none; the state pays (arts. 50 and 51 of the Criminal Procedure Code). By law they defend you like a hired lawyer; in practice some side with the investigation, and you can refuse them in writing once your own lawyer arrives (art. 52).
Search (obysk): A forced search for evidence at home, in a car or an office (art. 182 of the Criminal Procedure Code). A home is searched on a court order or, in urgent cases, on an investigator's order checked by a court afterwards (art. 165); your lawyer has the right to be present.
Plea deal (sdelka so sledstviem): The common name for a pre-trial cooperation agreement (art. 317.1 of the Criminal Procedure Code) and the special procedure when you accept the charge (chapter 40). By law the sentence is then capped at half or two thirds of the maximum (art. 62 of the Criminal Code); in practice the investigator's promises do not bind the court, so decide with a lawyer.
Appeal and cassation: Challenging a decision in higher courts. A criminal verdict is appealed within 15 days (art. 389.4 of the Criminal Procedure Code), an administrative ruling within 10 days (art. 30.3 of the Administrative Code); cassation comes after that.
Sentence taking effect: The moment a verdict becomes final: after the appeal, or if no appeal was filed in time (art. 390 of the Criminal Procedure Code). Until then the person usually stays in the SIZO, and that time counts towards the sentence (art. 72 of the Criminal Code).
Arrest in absentia (zaochny arest): A court order to arrest a person who is on the international or interstate wanted list (art. 108(5) of the Criminal Procedure Code). It is grounds to detain you on entering Russia and to request your extradition from another country.
Trial in absentia (zaochny sud): A trial held without the defendant if they are abroad and avoid appearing (art. 247(5) of the Criminal Procedure Code). It is used for grave cases and a number of 'political' articles, including 'fakes', 'discrediting the army', 'undesirable' organisations and foreign agents; people convicted in absentia are put on the 284-FZ register.
Public Monitoring Commission (ONK): Its members may visit police cells, SIZOs and colonies and talk to prisoners (Law 76-FZ). By law they protect prisoners' rights; in practice many regional commissions include former security officers, so ask rights groups whom to contact.
Prisoner transfer (etap): Transport of a prisoner from a SIZO to a colony or between facilities. It can take days or months with almost no contact; the colony must inform a relative of the arrival within 10 days (art. 17 of the Penal Code).
Colony regime: The conditions for serving a sentence set by the court: colony-settlement, general, strict or special regime, or prison (art. 58 of the Criminal Code). Visits, parcels and calls depend on the regime.
Punishment cell and cell-type unit (ShIZO, PKT): A punishment cell (up to 15 days) and a cell-type unit (up to 6 months) inside a colony, used for rule breaches (art. 115 of the Penal Code). Frequent penalties make a prisoner a 'persistent violator' (art. 116), which all but closes the path to parole.
Parole (UDO): Early conditional release by a court after part of the sentence: 1/3 for minor and medium offences, 1/2 for grave, 2/3 for especially grave, later for some articles (art. 79 of the Criminal Code). In practice political prisoners are often given penalties that rule parole out.
Pardon (pomilovanie): Release or a lighter sentence by decision of the president on the convicted person's petition (art. 85 of the Criminal Code). The law does not require admitting guilt; a refusal cannot be appealed, and you can petition again after a year.
Criminal record (sudimost): The legal consequences of a sentence that remain after release until the record is spent: 3 years for minor and medium offences, 8 for grave, 10 for especially grave (art. 86 of the Criminal Code). A record gets in the way of jobs, travel and visas.
Administrative supervision (administrativny nadzor): Police control after release: reporting, a night curfew, a ban on leaving the district and other restrictions (Law 64-FZ). After 'terrorism' and 'extremism' articles it is imposed regardless of behaviour in the colony; evading it can lead to a case under art. 314.1 of the Criminal Code.
Foreign agent (inoagent): A status assigned by the Ministry of Justice under Law 255-FZ, including for vague 'foreign influence'. It brings labelling, reports, bans on some work and income, and since 2025 amendments a criminal case (art. 330.1 of the Criminal Code) is possible after a single administrative fine.
Undesirable organisation (nezhelatelnaya organizatsiya): A foreign or international organisation banned in Russia by the Prosecutor General's Office (art. 3.1 of Law 272-FZ). Taking part is fined (art. 20.33 of the Administrative Code), and a repeat is a criminal case (art. 284.1 of the Criminal Code); the law does not define 'taking part' clearly, and in practice reposts and donations have been used as grounds.
Extremist organisation: An organisation banned by a court under Law 114-FZ (for example, FBK). Taking part and financing it, including donations, are crimes under arts. 282.2 and 282.3 of the Criminal Code, and displaying its symbols is punished under art. 20.3 of the Administrative Code.
Terrorist organisation: An organisation designated 'terrorist' by a court at the Prosecutor General's request; since March 2026 this includes the Anti-War Committee. Taking part, donating or helping can lead to a case under art. 205.1 or 205.5 of the Criminal Code, with terms up to life.
Rosfinmonitoring list: The list of people 'involved in extremism or terrorism' (Law 115-FZ); you can be added not only after a verdict but as soon as you are charged under certain articles. Banks restrict transactions: you can receive a salary or pension, but spend only within a limit set by the government since late 2025.
Extremist materials: Books, videos, websites and posts on the Ministry of Justice federal list or deemed extremist under Law 114-FZ. Mass distribution is punished under art. 20.29 of the Administrative Code, and since 2025 deliberately searching for such materials, including via a VPN, can also be fined (art. 13.53).
The 284-FZ register: A Ministry of Justice register of people abroad who were convicted in absentia under any criminal article or punished under 'political' administrative articles (Law No. 284-FZ of 4 August 2026). They cannot get a passport at a consulate, use notaries, issue powers of attorney or sell housing or cars, and their income in Russia goes to a controlled account.
Discrediting the army: Public words or actions against the army and its 'use' (art. 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). A repeat within a year of the penalty becomes a criminal case (art. 280.3 of the Criminal Code); posts, pickets, graffiti and symbols have all been used as grounds.
Army 'fakes': Spreading 'knowingly false information' about the army and state bodies abroad (art. 207.3 of the Criminal Code), up to 15 years. By law the falsehood must be 'knowing'; in practice anything that contradicts the Defence Ministry is treated as false.
Justifying terrorism: Publicly approving of terrorism (art. 205.2 of the Criminal Code), often over online posts and comments. These cases go to military courts, and the accused are put on the Rosfinmonitoring list.
High treason (gosizmena): Helping a foreign state or organisation against Russia's security, including with money or information (art. 275 of the Criminal Code): 12 years to life. Even small transfers to Ukraine have been used as grounds; a related article covers 'confidential cooperation' with foreigners (art. 275.1).
Summons (povestka): A summons to the military enlistment office, an investigator or a court. A military summons counts as served in person, by registered mail, in your Gosuslugi account, or 7 days after it is posted in the summons register.
Summons register: The state register of electronic summonses (Law 127-FZ of 2023). From the moment a summons is posted you cannot leave Russia, and 20 days after the reporting date, if you did not appear, bans kick in: driving, property and car deals, loans.
Exit ban: A temporary ban on leaving Russia. Grounds include a summons in the register, an undertaking not to leave or a criminal case, a bailiff debt over 30,000 roubles, or access to state secrets; people often find out only at the border.
Alternative civilian service (AGS): Civilian service instead of the army if military service goes against your beliefs (art. 59 of the Constitution, Law 113-FZ); it is longer than regular service, usually 21 months, and you must apply in advance. Mobilised men also invoke art. 59, but in practice they are usually refused.
Going AWOL and desertion (SOCh): SOCh means leaving your unit without permission for more than 2 days (art. 337 of the Criminal Code); desertion means leaving in order not to serve at all (art. 338). During mobilisation the penalties reach 10 and 15 years, and in practice those caught are often sent back to the front without waiting for a trial.
Wanted list (rozysk): A search for a person in a criminal case (art. 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code): federal (within Russia), interstate (across CIS countries) or international (via Interpol). CIS searches bypass Interpol's checks, and not being in the Interior Ministry's public wanted database guarantees nothing.
Interpol Red Notice: A country's request through Interpol to locate and provisionally arrest a person for extradition. It is not an arrest warrant, and Interpol's Constitution (art. 3) bans political cases, but in practice people are detained on it; you can check and challenge it through the Commission for the Control of Files (CCF).
Extradition (vydacha): Handing a person over to another country at its request for trial or punishment. The courts and authorities of the country you are in decide: a political case and a risk of torture are grounds for refusal, and after an arrest the requesting country usually has up to 40 days to send documents.
Deportation: Forced removal of a foreigner who has no legal grounds to stay, by decision of the migration authorities. The case is not examined on its merits, so deportation is sometimes used as a quick substitute for extradition; say at once that you fear return and ask for asylum.
Administrative expulsion (vydvorenie): Forced removal of a foreigner as a punishment, usually with an entry ban for years; in Russia it is imposed by a court or, in some cases, an Interior Ministry official (art. 3.10 of the Administrative Code). In some countries, such as Georgia, foreigners are expelled for joining protests.
Entry ban: A country's decision not to let a person in for a set period or indefinitely. People often learn about it only at the border, and the reason is often not given, especially when it is a 'threat to national security'.
Residence permit (VNZh): A residence permit in another country. It can be refused on renewal or cancelled, sometimes without reasons; appeal deadlines are usually short, so see a lawyer at once.
Asylum (ubezhishche): Protection a country gives to someone who faces persecution at home (1951 Refugee Convention). By law you cannot be removed while your application is being examined; in practice there are fast-track procedures and refusals, so prepare the application with a lawyer.
Non-refoulement: The ban on returning a person to a place where they face persecution, torture or inhuman treatment (art. 33 of the 1951 Convention, art. 3 of the UN Convention against Torture). It can be invoked in any extradition, deportation or expulsion case.
Interim measures: An urgent instruction from the European Court of Human Rights (Rule 39) or a UN committee not to remove a person while the complaint is examined. Under international law they must be respected; in practice states sometimes breach them, and in February 2026 Russia's Supreme Court called the UN Committee's interim measures non-binding.
European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR): The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Against Russia it only accepts complaints about violations before 16 September 2022, but in Council of Europe countries it remains an important protection against removal (Rule 39).
UN Human Rights Committee: The UN body that accepts individual complaints about violations of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; for Russians it is the main route for violations after 16 September 2022. You must first go through all domestic courts; Belarus left this procedure as of 8 February 2023.
Certificate of return: A consular document issued instead of a passport for entering Russia. It only lets you enter, not leave again, and if there is a case against you, a wanted notice or you are on a register, you may be detained at the border.
Extremist formation (Belarus): A status the Belarusian Interior Ministry or KGB assigns to media, foundations, chats and initiatives. Taking part, helping or donating can lead to a criminal case (art. 361-1 of the Belarusian Criminal Code and related articles), including for actions taken abroad.
Extremist materials (Belarus): The national list of channels, websites and symbols declared 'extremist'. Subscribing, reposting or keeping them can lead to a fine or jail (art. 19.11 of the Belarusian Administrative Code), and deleted subscriptions are sometimes recovered when phones are checked.
Special proceedings (Belarus): Trials in absentia of Belarusians who have left, introduced in 2022. The sentence can include prison time and confiscation of property, and after it returning to Belarus risks arrest.
Return commission (Belarus): A state commission that reviews applications from Belarusians abroad who want to return without prosecution. There are no guarantees, and an application admitting guilt can be used later, so talk to rights groups before contacting it.