Iaroslav Bykov
Iaroslav Bykov, born 1991, Moscow. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); “Iaroslav Bykov's case on “fake news” about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”. Sentenced on June 15, 2026. Status: imprisoned. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, January 27, 2025.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Anti-war cases
Sentence
6 years
Imprisonment (general regime)
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries (based on political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or on grounds of hatred or enmity in relation to any social group)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, "negatively assesses the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine and characterises them as criminal, associated with the killing of civilians", while "information about [Russia's] involvement does not correspond to reality". The reason for the prosecution were two Instagram posts: one about a Russian missile attack on a high-rise building in Dnipro in January 2023 and the other about a Russian shelling of the Okhmatdet children's hospital in Kiev in July 2024.
Latest event
June 15, 2026 — first-instance verdict
The court delivered a guilty verdict: 6 years.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, January 27, 2025
Timeline
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Criminal case
Iaroslav Bykov's case on “fake news” about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
- Case number
- 01-0269/2026
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Write a letter
The address is not listed in the database.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Moscow, courier. On 2 October 2025, he was arrested for 14 days under the administrative article on demonstration of prohibited symbols (Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) because of a post in support of the AFU, where they found symbols of the Legion "Freedom of Russia". Immediately after the end of his arrest, he was arrested under the same article for 15 days for similar symbols. Then, on 1 November, apparently detained again, this time not in the northern district of the capital, as before, but in New Moscow, already under the administrative article on petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences), he was again arrested for 15 days. On 17 December 2025, he was searched and later taken into custody in the case of disseminating deliberately false information about the Russian Armed Forces.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.