Marina Melikhova
- Criminal Code
- Article 280 part 2, Russian Criminal CodeArticle 280.3 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
- Case category
- Anti-war casesExtremism cases
- Verdict
- Imprisonment (open prison colony), Imprisonment (general regime)
- Sentence
- 3 years 6 months
- Date of verdict
- 2021-03-24
- Region
- Krasnodar Krai
- City
- Krasnodar, Sochi
Case summary
Head of the personal development centre "Age of Aquarius", dealing with aura diagnostics and cleaning, as well as energetic, psychological, and spiritual help. She has been involved in coaching and business training. Headed the Kuban branch of the financial pyramid Cashberry. Headed the "Council of Citizens of the USSR of the Prikubansky Okrug of Krasnodar". In May 2020, Melikhova was taken into custody on the case of calls to extremism. The reason was a video in "VKontakte" titled "On 9 May 2020 may come the end of the Putin regime! It depends only on us." On 25 March 2021, Melikhova was sentenced to three and a half years in a penal colony. In October of the same year, the "Council of Citizens of the USSR of the Prikubansky Okrug of Krasnodar" was recognised as an extremist organisation. In June 2022, Melikhova was released from prison.
On 21 June 2023, Melikhova's home was searched, she was taken for questioning, and the next day the court sent her to custody on the case of discrediting the use of the Russian Armed Forces. According to unconfirmed reports, the reason was her anti-war videos on YouTube. On 15 December 2023, Melikhova was sentenced to a year and five months in a general regime colony. On 1 June 2024, Melikhova was released.
Others charged under Article 280 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
What we write about political persecution
Recent material from this section. This is section navigation — the articles below are not about this person.
- 2026-09-04Georgia court clears extradition of Fugal ally to Russia
- 2026-09-04Russia labels Novaya Gazeta a 'foreign agent,' adds over 100 affiliated names
- 2026-09-04Russian court sentences hostage-takers from Rostov detention center to up to 29 years
- 2026-09-04Two Yabloko Duma candidates detained in Moscow two days before vote
- 2026-09-03British man says Russian police beat him, jumped on his head at station in Yessentuki
Source: this person’s record in the OVD-Info political persecution database
Published under CC BY 3.0. The criteria for treating a person as politically persecuted belong to OVD-Info; FACTUM relays their assessment and makes none of its own.
OVD-Info has been designated an «extremist» organisation in Russia — by decision of the Russian authorities, like other independent human rights and media projects.