Elena Popova
Elena Popova, born 1988, Rostov Oblast. Charges: Article 275, Russian Criminal Code (Treason against the state); “Elena Popova's case of treason”. Sentence (October 30, 2024): 12 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony, a fine of 500,000 rubles. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since September 1, 2023; place of detention: Penal colony No. 6, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, April 22, 2025.
In brief
Rostov Oblast · Rostov-on-Don · Financiers and accountants · Anti-war cases
Sentence
12 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony, a fine of 500,000 rubles
Upheld October 14, 2025
Charges
- Article 275, Russian Criminal Code — Treason against the state
Full wording of the charges
The reason for initiating the case was the monetary transfer on February 27, 2022, to a bank account shared by the blogger Arkady Babchenko containing seven thousand rubles.
Latest event
October 14, 2025 — cassation
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, April 22, 2025
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 12 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №4 (SIZO-4) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Rostov Oblast
· Persecution begins
Elena Popova's case of treason
Criminal case
Elena Popova's case of treason
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 6, Sverdlovsk Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
622008, Свердловская область, г.Нижний Тагил, ул. Заречная, 3–а, ФКУ «ИК № 6 ГУФСИН России по Свердловской области», Попова Елена Сергеевна, 1988 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Rostov-on-Don. She worked at the Central Bank. In September 2023, she was detained and subsequently arrested for 10 days under an administrative charge of petty hooliganism (Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenсes). After that she was arrested twice under the same article immediately after being released from the detention center — the first time also for 10 days, the second time for 15 days. At the same time, according to the website of Department One, the protocols stated that she “was loudly swearing” and “twisting her arms” in places located quite far from the detention center. After the third arrest, Popova was charged with high treason for transferring 7,000 rubles on February 27, 2022, to an account published by blogger Arkady Babchenko. Before her detentions, she had already been questioned by the police regarding this transfer. Popova was taken into custody. Later it became known that the case included testimony from a secret witness who had provided a negative reference from her workplace. On October 30, 2024, Popova was sentenced to 12 years in a general-regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 275, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.