Olga Sivushkova (Pshenichnikova)
Olga Sivushkova (Pshenichnikova), born 1988, Vologda Oblast. Charges: Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)); “Olga Pshenichnikova's case of public justification of terrorism”. Sentence (May 12, 2025): 4 years' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since June 12, 2025; place of detention: Penal colony No. 3, Ivanovo Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, March 26, 2026.
In brief
Vologda Oblast · Vologda · IT specialists · Terrorism cases
Sentence
4 years
imprisonment in a general regime colony
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
Full wording of the charges
The reason for the prosecution was the reposting of a video with blogger Mark Feigin speaking in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as the reposting of materials of the Legion "Freedom of Russia"
Latest event
March 26, 2026 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, March 26, 2026
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 4 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Olga Pshenichnikova's case of public justification of terrorism
Criminal case
Olga Pshenichnikova's case of public justification of terrorism
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 3, Ivanovo Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
155814, Ивановская область, г. Кинешма, ул. Шуйская, д.1, ФКУ «ИК № 3 УФСИН по Ивановской области», Сивушкова Ольга Максимовна, 1988 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Pshenichnikova is a transgender person, originally from Tajikistan. She served in the Israel Defense Forces prior to her transition, then in 2012 declared that she wanted to renounce her Israeli citizenship and "become part of the Palestinian resistance" and moved to the Deheishe refugee camp in the West Bank. The Times of Israel wrote that West Bank residents said Andrei Pshenichnikov was "posing as a Russian activist" and "was suspicious"; Palestinian authorities had twice handed him over to Israeli authorities. In late 2012, Pshenichnikova was arrested in Egypt, where Pshenichnikova was sentenced to two years in prison for filming security installations in Sinai.
According to her testimony in court, she was a secret FSB agent in the case against "New Greatness" organization. Pshenichnikova said she began co-operating with the authorities after she left a chat room with the defendants in the case because of insults directed at her. "My assignment was to identify [one of the defendants in the case] Anna Pavlikova, to describe her appearance. The truth is that the New Greatness organisation supported the violent overthrow of the government," she said at the trial.
In an interview with Dozhd in 2018, Pshenichnikova said she was an admirer of Vyacheslav Maltsev, while at the same time supporting Vladimir Putin and being a member of the National Liberation Movement (NLM).
In January 2025, Pshenichnikova was detained in Vologda. A case of public justification of terrorism was opened against her because of reposts of materials of the Russian Freedom Legion. According to other information, she corresponded with representatives of the Russian Freedom Legion, who prepared her to carry out a series of terrorist attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation.
During the search in the flat they found a pistol similar to a traumatic pistol and an Israeli passport in Andrei's name obtained before the change of the gender marker.
On 12 May 2025, Pshenichnikova was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in a general regime penal colony.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Israel
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.