Grigorii Skvortsov
Grigorii Skvortsov, born 1989, Moscow. Charges: Article 275, Russian Criminal Code (Treason against the state); “Grigorii Skvortsov’s case of high treason”. Sentence (June 26, 2025): 16 years' imprisonment in strict-regime penal colony and 1 year's restriction of liberty. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since July 17, 2025; place of detention: Penal colony No. 5, Arkhangelsk Oblast. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, October 21, 2025.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Artists
Sentence
16 years
imprisonment in strict-regime penal colony and 1 year's restriction of liberty
Upheld January 27, 2026
Charges
- Article 275, Russian Criminal Code — Treason against the state
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, he handed over the book “Soviet ‘Secret Bunkers’: Urban Special Fortification of the 1930s-1960s” written by the historian Dmitrii Yurkov to an American journalist, as well as geolocated classified facilities and created an “electronic map” of their locations.
Latest event
January 27, 2026 — cassation
The court upheld the verdict.
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, October 21, 2025
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Preventive measure: transfer between facilities
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №4 (SIZO-4) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Perm Krai
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 16 years
· Persecution begins
Grigorii Skvortsov’s case of high treason
Criminal case
Grigorii Skvortsov’s case of high treason
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 5, Arkhangelsk Oblast
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
165651, Архангельская область, г. Коряжма, Магистральное шоссе, 101, ФКУ «ИК № 5 УФСИН России по Архангельской области», Скворцов Григорий Александрович, 1989 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of Perm, photographer, musician and lover of extreme entertainment. On November 29th, 2023, he was detained. According to Skvortsov, he was beaten, forced to surrender his passwords to the electronic equipment, and recorded his confessions on video. He was then sent to Moscow and taken into custody on charges of high treason. Skvortsov's letter later revealed that he was accused of giving an American journalist materials for a book on Soviet-era bunkers by historian Dmitrii Yurkov. Skvortsov explained that they were photographs of officially declassified documents that he himself had bought from Yurkov. Before his detention, FSB officers had detained an acquaintance of Skvortsov's who was interested in these documents. After that, the photographer asked the journalist not to publish the material. Skvortsov also said that when the law enforcers were recording the video of his confession, they themselves gave him the name of the American journalist. Despite the fact that Skvortsov claimed during interrogation that he had not given the journalist Yurkov's book, but additional materials to it, it is the book that appears in the case. According to the investigation, Skvortsov himself geo-referenced and produced an "electronic scheme" of the location of special facilities. The photographer also said that the investigation carried out some activities in the occupied territories, where he had never been.
On June 26th, 2025, the court sentenced Skvortsov to 16 years in a strict regime 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.