Artur Maslakov
Artur Maslakov, born 1983, Moscow. Charges: Article 319, Russian Criminal Code (Public insult of a government official); Article 321 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code (Disorganisation of the activities of institutions providing isolation from society); “Case of Artur Maslakov on insulting representatives of the authorities and use of violence against staff of a place of detention”, opened on January 1, 2022. Sentence (December 20, 2022): sentence unknown; previously convicted under Article 205 item a (part unknown) applied with Article 30 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code; Article 222 part 1, Russian Criminal Code; Article 222 part 3, Russian Criminal Code. Status: location unknown. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, April 30, 2017; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion, April 16, 2017.
In brief
Moscow, Tyumen Oblast · Moscow, Tyumen · Unemployed · Terrorism cases
Sentence
sentence unknown
No information about an appeal ruling.
Other verdicts
- April 21, 2016 — 12 years' imprisonment in a strict regime colony
Charges
- Article 205 item a (part unknown) applied with Article 30 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Preparation or attempt to commit a group terrorist attack
- Article 222 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Illicit trafficking in firearms or ammunition
- Article 222 part 3, Russian Criminal Code — Illicit trafficking in firearms or ammunition (by a group, using official positions or the Internet)
- Article 223 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Manufacturing is understood as the creation of items specified by regulations without obtaining a license in the prescribed manner, where the items acquire the properties of firearms, ammunition, explosives, or explosive devices
- Article 319, Russian Criminal Code — Public insult of a government official
- Article 321 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code — Disorganisation of the activities of institutions providing isolation from society.
Full wording of the charges
was part of a criminal group to prepare a terrorist attack, illegally stored ammunition
Latest event
December 19, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, April 30, 2017
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Memorial Human Rights Centre, April 16, 2017
- Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
· Criminal case opened
Case of Artur Maslakov on insulting representatives of the authorities and use of violence against staff of a place of detention
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Recognised as unlawfully deprived of liberty for exercising freedom of religion
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 12 years
· Persecution begins
The case of the preparation of a terrorist attack in the "Kirgizia" cinema theatre
Criminal case
Case of Artur Maslakov on insulting representatives of the authorities and use of violence against staff of a place of detention
The case of the preparation of a terrorist attack in the "Kirgizia" cinema theatre
Other defendants in the case
- Tagir Akhtakhanov — At large, 11 years
- Nurmagomed Balakadashev — At large, 11 years
- Inyal Balakadashev — At large, 11 years
- Tazhib Mahmudov — Imprisoned, 13 years
- Matlyuba Nasimova — At large, 11 years
- Islam Ramazanov — At large, 11 years
- Ersmak Saraliyev — At large, 11 years
- Aslan Suleymanov — At large, 11 years
- Artur Tekilov — At large, 11 years
- Anzor Tekilov — At large, 11 years
- Tekilov Imran — Location unknown, 12 years
- Sergey Cheprasov — At large, 11 years
- Adam Shavkhalov — At large, 11 years
- Khoso Esmurzaev — At large, 11 years
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Moscow. Late in the evening of 26 November 2013, detained together with twelve other people during a raid on the hostel where he was living at the time. Accused of preparing for a terrorist attack in the "Kirgiziya" cinema and possession of ammunition. In the case file there is a report of Maslakov's interrogation as a suspect, according to which he allegedly knew that weapons and explosives were stored in the hostel, and that the hostel hostess and other guests spoke about the need to wage jihad on the territory of Russia, but Maslakov stated in court that he did not give such testimony, and the protocol, which he signed without reading because he could not see much and was without glasses, was read to him in a distorted form by the operatives.
Human rights activists believe that there is no convincing evidence of his involvement in the crime; in their opinion, the persecution was part of a campaign to pressure Muslims.
On 22 April 2016, he was sentenced to 12 years in a strict regime colony.
Has HIV and hepatitis. Had a suspended sentence for copyright infringement in the course of trading in laser discs.
In October 2020, was released for health reasons. In August 2021, Maslakov was re-arrested: the court agreed with the prosecutor's submission that since Maslakov was terminally ill, he did not need to be treated on the outside.
On 20 December 2022, a Tyumen court passed a verdict in the case of insult and use of violence against colony staff brought against Maslakov, details unknown.
In July 2025, the Leninsky District Court of Tyumen placed him under administrative supervision for 10 years. Presumably, Maslakov was released from the colony on 19 December 2025.
Artur Maslakov was recognised as a group 2 disabled person indefinitely, he was diagnosed with severe amblyopia - a disorder of the visual analyser that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 205 item a (part unknown) applied with Article 30 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.