Vasily Gavrilishen
Vasily Gavrilishen, born 2001, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. Charges: Article 205 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Terrorist attack (by a group or with serious consequences)); “Vasily Gavrilishen's case of arson at the military recruitment office in Nizhnevartovsk”. Sentence (July 3, 2023): 13 years' imprisonment with the first five years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since August 14, 2024; place of detention: Penal colony No. 2, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, May 5, 2025.
In brief
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug · Khanty-Mansiysk · Terrorism cases
Sentence
13 years
imprisonment with the first five years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony, one and a half years' restriction of liberty
Upheld August 14, 2024
Charges
- Article 205 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Terrorist attack (by a group or with serious consequences)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, on the night of 4 May he took part in throwing Molotov cocktails at the military recruitment office in Nizhnevartovsk. The investigation claims that Gavrilishen agreed to set fire to the military recruitment centre for a monetary reward to express his disagreement with the war in Ukraine: he corresponded with a certain Rostislav Mukhin, associated with the AFU, who promised the man from one to three million rubles for the arson. After the arson, law enforcers say Gavrilishen received 700,000 rubles on his cryptocurrency wallet, which he transferred to his bank account.
Latest event
May 5, 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, May 5, 2025
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 13 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Vasily Gavrilishen's case of arson at the military recruitment office in Nizhnevartovsk
Criminal case
Vasily Gavrilishen's case of arson at the military recruitment office in Nizhnevartovsk
- Case number
- 2-30/2023 (2-160/2022;)
Thematic group: The case of arson in the military recruiting office in Nizhnevartovsk
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 2, Sverdlovsk Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
620019, Свердловская область, г. Екатеринбург, ул. Малышева д. 2 Б, ФКУ «ИК № 2 ГУФСИН России по Свердловской области», Гаврилишен Василий Васильевич, 2001 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Nizhnevartovsk. Taken into custody in May 2022 on charges of arson of a military recruitment office. He was initially charged with damaging or destroying property and hooliganism, but later the charge was reclassified to committing a terrorist act by a group of persons. After the sentencing of another defendant, Vladislav Borysenko, Gavrilishen retracted his earlier confession: he admitted guilt, but did not agree with the qualification of the act under the terrorist article. The case was to be considered under a special procedure, but due to the refusal to testify, the court switched to the general order of consideration. On 3 July 2023, Gavrilishen was sentenced to 13 years in a strict regime colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.