Nikolai Polozov
Nikolai Polozov, born 1980, Moscow. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); “Nikolai Polozov’s case of military “fakes””. Sentence (February 20, 2026): 8.5 years in a general-regime penal colony in absentia. Status: not in Russia.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Defence attorneys, Lawyers · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases, Cases against "foreign agents"
Sentence
8 years 6 months
8.5 years in a general-regime penal colony in absentia
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries (based on political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or on grounds of hatred or enmity in relation to any social group)
- Article 205.4 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Creation of a terrorist community
Full wording of the charges
According to investigators, Polozov published a post on his personal channel in a messaging app which, according to expert findings, contains knowingly false information about the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of another state. In addition, Polozov gave an interview to the “Utro Fevralya” (“Morning of February”) YouTube channel which, according to expert findings, also contains knowingly false information about the actions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of another state, namely about the killing of civilians in Bucha.
Latest event
February 20, 2026 — first-instance verdict
The court delivered a guilty verdict: 8 years 6 months.
Timeline
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 8 years 6 months
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Criminal case opened
The case of the participants of the "Free Russia Forum"
· Persecution begins
Nikolai Polozov’s case of military “fakes”
· Added to the register of “foreign agents”
Criminal case
Nikolai Polozov’s case of military “fakes”
- Case number
- 01-0414/2025
Thematic group: Anti-war case
The case of the participants of the "Free Russia Forum"
Other defendants in the case
- Boris Golant — Not in Russia
- Anastasia Kirilenko — Not in Russia
- Evgenii Kiselev — Not in Russia
- Alfred Koch — Not in Russia
- Mikhail Krutikhin — Not in Russia
- Alexander Morozov — Not in Russia
- Igor Eidman — Not in Russia
Thematic group: The case of Free Russia Forum participants
Details and sources
Full summary
A lawyer who served as defense counsel in the case of the Pussy Riot “punk prayer” at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, as well as for Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko and Ukrainian sailors detained in Crimea. He also took part in a number of cases involving Crimean Tatar activists and other political prisoners on the peninsula. He later moved to Ukraine, and after the start of the war in 2022 became one of the founders of the project “Search. Captivity” (“Poshuk. Polon”), which searches for Ukrainians captured by Russia and provides them with legal assistance. He joined the Free Russia Forum. In June 2025, Polozov spoke about secret prisons for Ukrainian captives in Russia.
In early July 2025, it was reported that Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs placed Polozov on the wanted list. Authorities opened a criminal case against the lawyer for spreading “fakes” about the Russian army allegedly motivated by hatred, citing an interview he gave to the YouTube channel “Utro Fevralia” (“Morning of February”), in which he spoke about the execution of civilians in the city of Bucha in 2022. Investigators also cited a social media post.
On October 10, 2025, authorities opened a criminal case against him and seven others for organizing the activities of a terrorist community, in connection with the work of the Free Russia Forum.
On February 20, 2026, a court sentenced Polozov in absentia to eight and a half years in a penal colony on charges of spreading “fakes”.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- arrest in absentia
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.4 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.