Vladislav Gershon
Vladislav Gershon, born 1998, Occupied territory of Zaporizka oblast. Charges: Article 205 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Terrorist attack (by a group or with serious consequences)); Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in a terrorist community); Article 276, Russian Criminal Code (Transferring, collecting, stealing, or storing information classified as state secret with the…); “Vladislav Gershon’s case”. Sentence (September 3, 2025): 15 years’ imprisonment, with the first 3 years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since August 1, 2023; place of detention: Pre-trial detention centre No. 1, Rostov Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, April 5, 2026.
In brief
Occupied territory of Zaporizka oblast · NULL · Terrorism cases
Sentence
15 years
imprisonment, with the first 3 years to be served in prison and the remainder in a strict regime penal colony
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 205 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Terrorist attack (by a group or with serious consequences)
- Article 205.4 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Participation in a terrorist community
- Article 276, Russian Criminal Code — Transferring, collecting, stealing, or storing information classified as state secret with the intent to transfer to a foreign state, organization, or their representatives.
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, he, along with other administrators of the Telegram channel “Melitopol tse Ukraina” (i.e. “Melitopol is Ukraine”), is alleged to have directed Ukrainian missile strikes at the building of Melitopol College on 50th Anniversary of Victory Avenue, which at the time housed offices of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya) and the Federal Security Service (FSB) in the Zaporizhzhya region.
Latest event
April 5, 2026 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, April 5, 2026
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 15 years
· Persecution begins
Vladislav Gershon’s case
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Criminal case
Vladislav Gershon’s case
- Case number
- 1-482/2025
Thematic group: The case of "Melitopol is Ukraine" Telegram channel
Write a letter
Facility: Pre-trial detention centre No. 1, Rostov Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
344022 г. Ростов-на-Дону, ул. Максима Горького, 219, ФКУ СИЗО-1 УФСИН России по Ростовской области, Гершон Владислав Леонидович, 1998 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
He is a resident of Melitopol and correspondent for the Telegram channel named, “Melitopol is Ukraine”. Gershon was detained on 20 August 2023. For two months, his family had no information about his whereabouts. According to official information, he was taken into custody in October 2023 on charges of espionage, participation in a terrorist organisation and committing a terrorist act. The case was referred to the court in May 2025, and on 3 September 2025 Gershon was sentenced to 15 years in a strict-regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Ukraine
Other people prosecuted under Article 205 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.