October 20, 2026, 10:56 AMRSSRU

Taisia Osipova

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Taisia Osipova, born 1984, Smolensk Oblast. Charges: Article 228 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code (Illegal drug trafficking); “The case of Taisia Osipova”. Sentence (November 6, 2012): eight years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, December 17, 2013; Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner, June 16, 2011.

In brief

Smolensk Oblast · Smolensk · Entrepreneurs

Sentence

8 years

eight years of imprisonment in a general regime penal colony

Sentence changed November 6, 2012

First instance, December 27, 2011: 10 years

Charges

Full wording of the charges

she made an illegal sale of 1.2 grammes of heroin

Latest event

February 28, 2017 — imprisonment ends

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Imprisonment ends

  2. · Persecution ends

  3. · Recognised as a political prisoner

    Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners

  4. · Appeal ruling

    upheld

  5. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict · 10 years

  6. · Recognised as a political prisoner

    Memorial Human Rights Centre

Criminal case

The case of Taisia Osipova

There are no other defendants in this case in the database.

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

Taisiya Osipova is an activist of the Smolensk branch of "Other Russia". On 23 November 2010, her house was searched with the participation of an employee of the Centre for Combating Extremism, who was actively interested in the fate of Osipova's husband, Sergey Fomchenkov, who was preparing documents for the registration of "Other Russia" with the Ministry of Justice. In the course of the search, five packages with an unknown substance and a labelled 500-ruble note were found. According to the investigation, Osipova sold drugs to a lady whose real name is unknown (she appeared in court as a classified witness), and the lady handed over the substances to the operatives as part of the so-called "control purchases". Osipova, her family and friends are convinced that the drugs were planted on her. On 25 November 2010 Osipova was arrested. The court continuously extended her detention despite the fact that Osipova suffers from diabetes and has a young daughter. On 29 December 2011, Osipova was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. On 15 February 2012, the sentence was overturned and the case was sent for review, with Osipova remaining in pre-trial detention. On 28 August 2012, she was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, although the prosecutor requested four years and the episode with the alleged drugs stored at her home was excluded from the case due to procedural violations during the search.

On 28 February 2017, she was released on parole

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Sources (2)

Other people prosecuted under Article 228 (part unknown), Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

All 8 under this article →