Ivan Bezlepkin
Charges: Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in a terrorist community); “Ukrainian servicemen's case of participation in the Donbass-Ukraine battalion”. Sentence (February 11, 2025): 5 years 10 months' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since July 9, 2025; place of detention: Penal colony No. 20, Vologda Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, November 26, 2025.
In brief
Former military personnel · Terrorism cases
Sentence
5 years 10 months
imprisonment in a general regime colony
Upheld July 9, 2025
Charges
- Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in a terrorist community
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation team, he took part in combat operations as a member of the Donbass Battalion and its unit, the 46th Separate Donbass-Ukraine Assault Battalion, in the territories of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. In April 2016, he left the unit voluntarily but did not report his service during filtration procedures. The battalion in which he served was recognized as a “terrorist organization” by the court of the DPR in 2016; it is not included in the unified list of terrorist organizations published by the Russian FSB.
Latest event
November 26, 2025 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, November 26, 2025
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 5 years 10 months
· Persecution begins
Ukrainian servicemen's case of participation in the Donbass-Ukraine battalion
Criminal case
Ukrainian servicemen's case of participation in the Donbass-Ukraine battalion
Other defendants in the case
- Yurii Makarenko — Imprisoned, 5 years 8 months
- Gleb Petruk — Imprisoned, 6 years
- Vladimir Puzanov — Imprisoned, 5 years 8 months
- Dmitrii Reivakh — Imprisoned, 6 years
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 20, Vologda Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
162840, Вологодская область, г. Устюжна, ул. Карла Маркса, д. 57, ИК-20, ФКУ «ИК № 20 УФСИН России по Вологодской области», Безлепкин Иван Владимирович, 1987 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
He was born in Russia’s Rostov Region and worked in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region. Bezlepkin was charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist organization and placed in pretrial detention. According to investigators, he took part in combat operations against civilians and servicemen of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) while serving with the Donbass–Ukraine battalion. On February 11, 2025, he was sentenced to five years and ten months in a general-regime penal colony.
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.