Dmitry Fomintsev
Dmitry Fomintsev, born 1981, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Charges: Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)); “Dmitry Fomintsev's case on the justification of terrorism”, opened on July 1, 2025. Status: location unknown.
In brief
Sverdlovsk Oblast · Yekaterinburg · Journalists · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases
Sentence
No information about a verdict.
Charges
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
- Article 148 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Violation of the right of freedom to conscience and religion
Full wording of the charges
The reason for the criminal case was a post in the telegram channel "Irod Pouehavshiy" with a comment on the murder of Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, head of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Forces, who was shot dead in Moscow in December 2024. The publication said: "a dog's death".
Latest event
July 21, 2025 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Criminal case opened
Dmitry Fomintsev's case on the justification of terrorism
· Persecution begins
Dmitry Fomintsev's case on offence to the feelings of believers
Criminal case
Dmitry Fomintsev's case on the justification of terrorism
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Dmitry Fomintsev's case on offence to the feelings of believers
Details and sources
Full summary
Chief editor of the Ekaterinburg-based newspaper TochkaNews. In his Telegram channel, he regularly speaks out about the Russian authorities and the clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church. In January 2024, Fomintsev's home and newspaper office were searched in a case of offending religious feelings. During the arrest, the journalist was placed face down in the snow and handcuffed. It was reported at the time that he was in the status of a witness. It's My City wrote that the detention was carried out by the "Orthodox Special Forces," a unit that guards churches and other religious buildings. RusNews wrote that the criminal case was opened after denunciations of Fomintsev's posts about Metropolitan Evgeny Kulberg of Ekaterinburg and Verkhotursk. In June, Fomintsev said that he had been moved to the status of an accused, according to his information. In November 2024, Fomintsev announced the closure of TochkaNews.
In July 2025, Fomintsev was added to Rosfinmonitoring's list of extremists and terrorists, with a notation placed with the names of those prosecuted under terrorist articles. On 22 July, Fomintsev said that a case of justification of terrorism had been opened against him. The reason was his comment, "a dog's death", to the news article about the murder in Moscow of Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov, who headed the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Russian Armed Forces.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 148 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.