October 21, 2026, 6:02 AMRSSRU

Ilia Baburin

ImprisonedChecked October 18, 2026

Ilia Baburin, born 1999, Novosibirsk Oblast. Charges: Article 138.1, Russian Criminal Code (Illegal trafficking of special technical devices intended for covert information gathering); Article 205 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Terrorist attack); Article 205.1 part 1.1, Russian Criminal Code (Assisting or financing terrorist activities); “The case of organising attempted arson attacks on military recruitment offices in the Novosibirsk Region”. Sentence (May 20, 2024): 25 years' imprisonment, with the first 5 years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since September 1, 2022; place of detention: Pre-trial detention centre No. 1, Krasnoyarsk Krai. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, March 25, 2025.

In brief

Novosibirsk Oblast · Novosibirsk · IT specialists · Terrorism cases

Sentence

25 years

imprisonment, with the first 5 years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony, with restriction of liberty for 1 year and a fine of 100,000 roubles.

Verdict May 20, 2024

Upheld June 25, 2025

Charges

Full wording of the charges

According to the investigators' version, he searched for perpetrators of arson attacks on the buildings of military commissariats in the Novosibirsk region on the instructions of foreign customers. He handed a bottle with a Molotov cocktail to the alleged perpetrators, who appear in the case under the surnames Orlov and Shorin. Orlov and Shorin allegedly handed the bottle to FSB officers voluntarily and testified against Baburin. Initially, it was reported that he was charged with the attempted organization of a terrorist act (part 1 of article 205 of the Criminal Code with an application of part 3 of article 30 of the Criminal Code and part 3 of article 33 of the Criminal Code), but later it became known that he was charged under the 4th part of article 205.1 of the Criminal Code. Baburin was also charged with involvement in terrorist activities (part 1.1 of article 205.1 of the Criminal Code). On April 1, 2023 it became known that Baburin was added a charge of attempted treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code with an application of part 3 of Article 30 of the Criminal Code): this is how the investigation qualified the said organization of arson of the military recruitment office "in order to assist" the Azov battalion "in carrying out activities against the security of the Russian Federation". In December 2023, it became known that Baburin was charged with four more articles: illegal trafficking of special technical means for the unauthorized acquisition of information (Art. 138.1 of the Criminal Code) due to the GPS-beacon found during the search; committing a terrorist act (Part 1 of Art. 205 CC) due to the arson of a music school, to which, according to "Solidarity Zone", Baburin has nothing to do; as well as participation in an illegal armed group (part 2 of article 208 of the Criminal Code) and in the activities of a terrorist organization (part 2 of article 205.5 of the Criminal Code). Additionally, charges of involvement in the regiment "Azov" were laid - this charge Baburin also denies. According to him, when he bought the GPS-beacon, he did not know that it had a built-in microphone. He notes that he bought the device to keep an eye on the car he was going to rent out. "Solidarity Zone" suggests that the insides of the "beacon" could have been replaced before the expertise. In addition, the investigator refuses the defence's request for a second examination.

Latest event

June 25, 2025 — cassation

The court upheld the verdict.

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Cassation ruling

    upheld

  2. · Recognised as a political prisoner

    Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners

  3. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict · 25 years

  4. · Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”

  5. · Persecution begins

    The case of organising attempted arson attacks on military recruitment offices in the Novosibirsk Region

  6. · Preventive measure: pre-trial detention

    Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Novosibirsk Oblast

Criminal case

The case of organising attempted arson attacks on military recruitment offices in the Novosibirsk Region

Case number
1-18/2024

There are no other defendants in this case in the database.

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Facility: Pre-trial detention centre No. 1, Krasnoyarsk Krai

Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)

660075, Красноярский край, г. Красноярск, ул. Республики, 72, ФКУ СИЗО-1 ГУФСИН России по Красноярскому краю, Бабурин Илья Николаевич, 1999 г.р.

Address checked October 18, 2026

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

Resident of Novosibirsk. He was detained in the autumn of 2022 on charges of attempted arson of military enlistment offices in Kirovsky and Leninsky districts. During the search, law enforcers seized from him a book by American war correspondent William Shirer, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", BBC Russian Service quotes lawyer Vasily Dubkov as saying that the investigation was thus trying to prove Baburin's adherence to Nazism. Initially it was reported that he was charged with attempted organisation of a terrorist attack, but later it became known that he was accused of the organisation. Baburin was taken into custody. Later he was also charged with involvement in terrorist activities.

On 29 September 2022, one day before the reports about Baburin, it became known that a local resident had been detained in connection with an attempted arson attack on military recruitment offices in Kirovsky and Leninsky districts. It is unknown whether this also referred to Baburin.

In the pre-trial detention centre Baburin was subjected to abuse: he was placed in a disciplinary cell and a "psychisolator", a special cell with rubber walls in which prisoners prone to self-harm should be placed, where he was completely stripped and given no underwear. Cellmates were told by the administration that Baburin had allegedly filed a complaint against them. In addition, he was not given the books and magazines to which he subscribed.

On 1 April 2023, it became known that Baburin was additionally charged with attempted treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code with application of part 3 of Article 30 of the Criminal Code): this is how the investigation qualified the same organisation of the arson attack on the military recruitment office "in order to assist" the Azov battalion "in carrying out activities against the security of the Russian Federation".

On 27 September 2023, Baburin was beaten by escorts. The lawyer demanded the recusal of the investigator and filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office. The next day, three girls, including Baburin's girlfriend, were searched, she was not released after the interrogation, and her lawyer was not allowed to see her. Later she was released from the investigator in the status of a witness.

On October 11. Baburin was placed in the disciplinary cell.

In December 2023, it became known that Baburin was charged with four more articles: illegal trafficking in special technical means for covertly obtaining information because of the GPS-beacon found during the search, committing a terrorist act because of the arson of a music school, with which, according to the Solidarity Zone, Baburin had nothing to do, as well as participation in an illegal armed formation and in the activities of a terrorist organisation on charges of involvement in the Azov regiment - a charge Baburin also denies. According to him, when he bought the GPS-beacon, he did not know that it had a built-in microphone. He notes that he bought the device to keep an eye on the car he was going to rent out. Solidarity Zone suggests that the insides of the "beacon" could have been replaced before the examination. In addition, the investigator refuses the defenders' request for a second examination.

On 20 May 2024 Baburin was sentenced to 25 years in a strict regime colony.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Sources (1)

Other people prosecuted under Article 138.1, Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

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