Valerii Kachin
Valerii Kachin, born 1987, Moscow. Charges: Article 275, Russian Criminal Code (Treason against the state); “Valerii Kachin's treason case”. Sentence (April 25, 2025): 14 years' imprisonment in a strict regime colony, a fine of 300 thousand rubles, reduce the amount to 180 thousand… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since April 25, 2025; place of detention: Penal colony No. 8, Udmurtia.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Scientists
Sentence
14 years
imprisonment in a strict regime colony, a fine of 300 thousand rubles, reduce the amount to 180 thousand rubles
First instance, January 27, 2025: 14 years
Charges
- Article 275, Russian Criminal Code — Treason against the state
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, acting on the instructions of the Ukrainian secret service, he collected and transferred to its representative information constituting state secrets about critical infrastructure facilities in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast.
Latest event
July 24, 2026 — added to the rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Timeline
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Appeal ruling
sentence changed · 14 years
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 14 years
· Persecution begins
Valerii Kachin's treason case
Criminal case
Valerii Kachin's treason case
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 8, Udmurtia
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
427011, Удмуртская Республика, Завьяловский район, пос. Хохряки, ФКУ «ИК № 8 УФСИН России по Удмуртской Республике», Качин Валерий Сергеевич, 1987 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Scientist-geodesist. In the past an employee of the Birobidzhan Mayor's Office, an employee of the "Bastak" Nature Reserve. Showed support for Ukraine, Alexei Navalny and protests in Belarus via social media. Detained in Birobidzhan, presumably in autumn 2022, taken to Moscow, where he was taken into custody on charges of treason. It is unknown what exactly the scientist was accused of. He himself wrote from the detention centre that the state "took offence" at him because of his "position on Ukraine and what is happening now". He also mentioned some kind of provocation and that he told law enforcers that in his case it would be enough to have a preventive conversation with him, rather than initiate a case, to which the answer was: "I'm sorry, such is the time". On January 27, 2025, a court in Birobidzhan sentenced Kachin to 14 years in a strict regime colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 275, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.