Aleksandr Dorogov
Aleksandr Dorogov, born 1976, Moscow Oblast. Charges: Article 163 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Extortion with the view to obtain property, with the use of violence, committed by a group of…); Article 163 part 3 item b, Russian Criminal Code (Large-scale extortion with the view to obtain property); “Case of the "Rosderzhava" journalists Dorogov and Katelevskii”. Sentence (November 17, 2023): 10 years 6 months' imprisonment in a strict regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since July 29, 2020; place of detention: Penal colony No. 5, Tambov Oblast. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner, March 21, 2022.
In brief
Moscow Oblast · Ramenskoye, Serpukhov · Journalists
Sentence
10 years 6 months
imprisonment in a strict regime colony
Upheld April 2, 2025
Charges
- Article 163 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Extortion with the view to obtain property, with the use of violence, committed by a group of persons or on a large scale
- Article 163 part 3 item b, Russian Criminal Code — Large-scale extortion with the view to obtain property
Full wording of the charges
Journalist Ian Katelevskii and his colleague Aleksandr Dorogov are accused of extortion (point "b" of part 3 of article 163 of the Criminal Code) and insulting an official (article 319 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the case was initiated in July 2020. Katelevskii is also a defendant in the case of damage to property for hooligan reasons (part 2 of article 167 of the Criminal Code). According to the investigation, the journalists extorted 1.3 million roubles from the traffic police officer Gorokhov in exchange for refusal to publish materials about him.
Latest event
April 2, 2025 — cassation
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial Human Rights Centre, March 21, 2022
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №3 (SIZO-3) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Bashkortostan
· Preventive measure: transfer between facilities
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 10 years 6 months
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· Preventive measure: house arrest
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №7 (SIZO-7) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Moscow Oblast
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
TDF of the Lobnya District Department of Internal Affairs of Russia
· Persecution begins
Case of the "Rosderzhava" journalists Dorogov and Katelevskii
Criminal case
Case of the "Rosderzhava" journalists Dorogov and Katelevskii
- Case number
- 1-13/2023 (1-504/2022;)
Other defendants in the case
- Ian Katelevskii — Imprisoned, 9 years 6 months
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 5, Tambov Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
393950, Тамбовская область, г. Моршанск, ул. Сурикова д.39, ФКУ «ИК № 5 УФСИН России по Тамбовской области», Дорогов Александр Борисович, 1976 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
On 20 November 2019, a case of intentional damage to a car was initiated: the suspects were not named, but witnesses named Dorogov. On 20 April, after a threefold extension, the case was suspended allegedly due to the inability to identify the accused. On 18 May, the prosecutor's office cancelled the suspension.
On 21 May a case of extortion was initiated against Dorogov. On 13 July, he was put on a wanted list, and an order on recognizance not to leave was issued in absentia. On 17 July, he was put on the international wanted list, and on 28 July he was arrested in absentia - formally due to violation of the conditions of the recognizance not to leave. Subsequently, at one of the courts to extend the arrest, it turned out that information about the international wanted list had not been submitted to Interpol. Dorogov claimed that he did not know about the personal recognizance.
On 29 July he was detained, during the detention he received injuries to the spine and abdominal cavity. After that, it was unknown where he was for 10 days.
On 29 July a case of insulting a representative of the authorities was initiated against him. A case of hooliganism was initiated against him in connection with the incident, about which a case of intentional infliction of minor harm to health had been initiated earlier, where Dorogov had been one of the victims.
On 25 September, the court transferred Dorogov to house arrest. On 15 October, the court of appeal overturned this order, and Dorogov was taken into custody again.
Later, another extortion case was initiated.
On 18 November 2023, Dorogov was sentenced to ten and a half years in a strict regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 163 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.