Alexey Seryogin

Alexei Alexandrovich Seryogin is an independent journalist from Yoshkar-Ola in the Republic of Mari El. He contributed to the regional outlet 7x7, covered politically sensitive court proceedings and local public affairs, and ran the Telegram channel “Nothing Will Happen in Mari El.” In 2024, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated him a “foreign agent.”

Seryogin was detained on June 4, 2026. Police subsequently searched his home. His first criminal case was brought under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. Investigators based the charge on comments he had posted in 2024 in the Sapozhnik Chat Telegram discussion concerning the First Chechen War and Dzhokhar Dudayev. The authorities interpreted the comments as public justification of terrorism. The following day a Yoshkar-Ola court remanded him in custody.

Seryogin has alleged that police used electric shocks after his detention in an attempt to force him to unlock his phone. The allegation has been reported by several independent outlets but has not been adjudicated in a public proceeding.

While he was in detention, investigators opened a second case under Article 330.1 concerning repeated failure to comply with Russia’s “foreign agent” requirements. Seryogin said the episode concerned a post that appeared online for several minutes without the mandatory label.

On August 28, investigator Alexander Yagodarov informed him that a third criminal case had been opened under Part 1 of Article 282, concerning incitement of hatred or hostility. The substance of this case remains undisclosed. In September Seryogin was transferred first to Kazan and then to Moscow for a forensic psychiatric examination. Memorial currently lists the Serbsky National Medical Research Centre as his place of detention.