Valery Shevchuk
Valery Shevchuk, born 1996, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Public insult of religious feelings); Article 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code (Insulting the memory, symbols, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War (committed by a group of…); “Valeriy Shevchuk's case of disrespect for Victory Day and insulting the feelings of believers”. Sentence (March 23, 2026): Taking into account the previous sentence, 5 years 6 months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony, a fine…; previously convicted under Article 280 part 2, Russian Criminal Code. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since May 21, 2026.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Islam Terek (Kirovske settlement) · Anti-war cases, Extremism cases
Sentence
5 years 6 months
Taking into account the previous sentence, 5 years 6 months' deprivation of liberty in a general regime colony, a fine of 100,000 roubles and a ban on administering Internet pages for 3 years
No information about an appeal ruling.
Other verdicts
- July 17, 2025 — Imprisonment (general regime) — 5 years
Charges
- Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Public insult of religious feelings
- Article 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code — Insulting the memory, symbols, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War (committed by a group of individuals or using mass media or the Internet)
- Article 280 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public calls for extremism (using mass media or the internet)
Full wording of the charges
The reason for the accusation of disseminating disrespectful information about the days of military glory was the publication in April 2022 of a picture with the inscription "9 May 2022" in which coffins with the symbols V and Z, from which blood flows out, lie on Red Square instead of a parade, and "Putin" is written on the Mausoleum. The reason for accusations of insulting the feelings of believers were comments in September 2023 about "Orthodox shrines", "defaming religious traditions, cultural values and the historical memory of the Russian people". and in October of the same year - "insulting the religious feelings of believers who profess the Muslim faith".
Latest event
May 21, 2026 — imprisonment begins
Timeline
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 5 years 6 months
· Appeal ruling
sentence changed · 5 years
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 5 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Valery Shevchuk's case of calling to extremism
Criminal case
Valeriy Shevchuk's case of disrespect for Victory Day and insulting the feelings of believers
- Case number
- 1-16/2026
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Valery Shevchuk's case of calling to extremism
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The address is not listed in the database.
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Crimea. In June 2024, his detention was reported by the "Crimean SMERSH" telegram channel, which helps law enforcement agencies to identify people who speak out against the Russian authorities and the war. In the message, the channel said that Shevchuk "published posts insulting Russia, the army and the president, posted Nazi slogans and called for slaughtering Russians, and denied the territorial integrity of the country". On 19 June 2024, Shevchuk was fined 45,000 rubles under the article on insulting the authorities (part 3 of article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences) because of several pictures with statements against Putin. In one of the pictures, Putin had a letter Z drawn on his forehead. On the same day, the court fined Shevchuk 45 thousand rubles under the article on discrediting the Russian army (Article 20.3.3 of the CAO). According to the court ruling, the pictures he published depicted an animal in the uniform of a Russian serviceman and an AFU soldier cutting off the heads of Russian servicemen. At the same time, the court arrested Shevchuk for 13 days under the article on the demonstration of prohibited symbols (part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences) because of the Right Sector emblem.
In July 2024, Shevchuk was sentenced to compulsory labour in a theft case (we do not know the details of the case, we have no grounds to consider it politically motivated). Later, a criminal case on calls to extremism was opened against the Crimean: according to the investigation, he called for violence against Russians. There are four episodes in the case. On 25 February 2025, Shevchuk was sentenced to five years and ten days in a general regime colony.
Later it became known that a new case was brought against the Crimean - on the dissemination of disrespectful information about the days of military glory and insulting the feelings of believers. The reason was an anti-war picture, where on 9 May 2022 in Red Square instead of a parade are coffins with the letters V and Z, and some statements about "Orthodox shrines" and Islam. On 23 March 2026, Shevchuk was sentenced to five and a half years in a general regime colony, taking into account his previous sentence.
All fields of the record
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.