Political repression continued in Russia in 2024, as “justification of terrorism” overtook “discrediting the Russian army” as the most prosecuted “crime,” according to a detailed report by Russian civil rights groups.

Russia has witnessed a marked intensification in state-led oppression, that will only get worse, according to civil rights groups. Criminal prosecution is currently the most dynamic form of political pressure in Russia and the annexed Crimea. As of December 9, 2024, 2,976 people are being prosecuted for political reasons in the territory of the Russian Federation and the annexed Crimea and Sevastopol, 1,407 people have been deprived of their liberty.

For the first time since 2022, the article with the largest number of new prosecutions was Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code ("Public justification of terrorism"). Last year, the leading article was Article 280.3 of the Criminal Code ("Discrediting the RF Armed Forces"); in 2022 it was Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code ("Dissemination of knowingly false information about the RF Armed Forces"). 

“The number of sentences with imprisonment has also increased somewhat. Thus, more than half of the sentences imposed over the past year involve imprisonment – 55% (378 out of 679). For comparison, in 2023 such sentences were 50% (339 out of 671),” according to human rights activists at OVD-Info and colleagues at five other projects that published an annual summary of events in Russia’s justice system.

Of these, 390 (28%) are in custody pending the consideration of the criminal case in court, the sentencing and its entry into force. The remaining 1,017 (72%) are already serving their sentences, according to the report.

“Most often in 2024, defendants in "anti-war cases" were prosecuted for text comments and online publications. Offline statements and statements in videos were in second place in popularity. The number of anti-war protests on the streets and in public places has noticeably decreased, but we still see prosecutions for leaflets, graffiti on walls and various objects in cities, public events and the destruction of patriotic symbols,” the report states. “But in 2024, more people were prosecuted for cooperation with foreigners than in the previous two years combined.”

Additionally, the report identifies 107 instances of "extra pressure" on prisoners, including physical abuse, psychological violence, denial of medical care and detention in poor conditions.

“The average prison term in politically motivated cases has decreased slightly over the past year, from 6.7 years in 2023 to 6.5 years in 2024. However, in “anti-war cases,” this term, on the contrary, has increased slightly, from 6 years to 6.2 years,” the report says.

Researchers found that the main trends in recent years has persisted in 2024: targeted political persecution, attacks on vulnerable groups and the adoption of increasingly repressive laws.

Eight politically motivated prisoners died in custody this year. High-profile opposition figure Alexey Navalny was among them, while others succumbed to poor solitary confinement conditions or injuries sustained during detention.

Authorities increasingly deployed Article 205.2 of Russia's Criminal Code, which bans “public justification of terrorism,” against individuals who supported Ukraine’s military actions. This statute became the most commonly used tool to suppress dissent in 2024, OVD-Info revealed, Meduza reports.

In a rare example of public protest, there were large demonstrations against the government in Bashkortostan in January following the jailing of activist Fail Alsynov that provoked a severe crackdown by the authorities. Demonstrations in Baymak and Ufa prompted federal investigators to launch a criminal case for “mass riots,” implicating at least 79 individuals.

The LGBTQI+ community has also come under attack and police raided Moscow gay clubs on the anniversary of the passage of the “anti-gay propaganda” laws.

The Supreme Court’s decision to classify the “International LGBT Movement” as extremist in January 2024 triggered heightened persecution of LGBTQI+ individuals. The report identifies 12 felony cases linked to this designation and 53 related to “LGBT propaganda.” Police raids targeting this community have become commonplace.

Simultaneously, the Crocus City Hall mall terrorist attack on March 22 was exploited to justify mass crackdowns on migrant workers, culminating in regular raids, detentions, and deportations. In some regions, including St. Petersburg, police raids on migrants occur almost weekly, the report says.

“The authorities are employing increasingly harsh methods to suppress dissent,” the report concludes.