Alexander Orshulevich
Alexander Orshulevich, born 1988, Kaliningrad Oblast. Charges: Article 205.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Assisting to or financing terrorist activities through an official position); Article 280 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Public calls for extremism); Article 282.1 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Creation and leadership of an extremist community); “The case of the BVRR (the Baltic Vanguard of the Russian Resistance)”. Sentence (April 16, 2020): 8 years’ imprisonment in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of liberty and deprivation of the right to… Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, January 28, 2018; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner, January 21, 2018.
In brief
Kaliningrad Oblast · Kaliningrad · Terrorism cases, Extremism cases
Sentence
8 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony, 1 year of restriction of liberty and deprivation of the right to administer sites on the Internet for 6 years
Upheld February 15, 2022
Charges
- Article 205.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Assisting to or financing terrorist activities through an official position
- Article 280 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Public calls for extremism
- Article 282.1 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Creation and leadership of an extremist community
Full wording of the charges
He was involved in organising the activities of an extremist community; “the goal of the extremist community he was creating was a violent seizure of power in the Kaliningrad region by committing a number of extremist crimes aimed, inter alia, at the secession of the Kaliningrad region from the Russian Federation and its independent existence within the European Union”; “he attracted Mamaev, a resident of the Kaliningrad region who knew him earlier and was aware of these goals and objectives of the organisation, to participate in the activities of the extremist community”; “he attracted Ivanov, a resident of the Kaliningrad region who was aware of the goals and objectives of the organisation, to participate in the activities of the extremist community”.
Latest event
May 1, 2025 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners, January 28, 2018
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial Human Rights Centre, January 21, 2018
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· Imprisonment begins
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 8 years
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial Human Rights Centre
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for Kaliningrad Oblast
· Persecution begins
The case of the BVRR (the Baltic Vanguard of the Russian Resistance)
· Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
Criminal case
The case of the BVRR (the Baltic Vanguard of the Russian Resistance)
Other defendants in the case
- Igor Ivanov — At large, 5 years 10 months
- Alexander (Father Nicholas) Mamayev — At large, 6 years
- Nikolai Sentsov — At large, 3 years
Details and sources
Full summary
On 30 January 2017, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Kaliningrad region sent an official warning notice to Orshulevich about the inadmissibility of carrying out extremist activities, in which it suggested that he take organisational and practical measures within two months to prevent further violations of the law on countering extremist activities. Orshulevich resigned as head of BARR and left the organisation, and the unregistered organisation made changes to its charter.
On 27 May a case of the creation of an extremist community was initiated. Orshulevich was taken into custody. According to his wife Vanda, during the search and arrest, the law enforement officers planted stencils with extremist inscriptions and spray paint cans on him and prevented him from contacting his lawyer. Orshulevich claims that after his arrest they put a polythene bag over his head and tortured him.
On 16 October Orshulevich’s lawyer Marina Bontsler was suspended from participation in the case.
In October 2018, it was reported that Orshulevich was charged with organising a terrorist community (Part 1 of Article 205.4 of the Criminal Code), justification of terrorism (Part 1 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code), calls for extremist activity (Part 1 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code) and storage of ammunition (Part 3 of Article 222 of the Criminal Code) and explosives (Part 3 of Article 222.1 of the Criminal Code), committed by an organised group.
In April 2020, the above charges against Orshulevich were reported to have been dropped and he was again charged with organising the activities of an extremist community. On 17 April, he was sentenced to eight years in a penal colony, one year of restricted freedom and deprivation of the right to administer websites for six years.
In May 2025, Orshulevich was released.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.