Olga Smirnova
Olga Smirnova, born 1968, Leningrad Oblast. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); “The case of Olga Smirnova regarding "fake news" about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, in St. Petersburg”, opened on May 5, 2022. Sentence (August 30, 2023): Deprivation of liberty for 6 years in a general regime penal correctional institution with deprivation of the right to… Status: at large. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, June 15, 2022.
In brief
Leningrad Oblast, Saint Petersburg · Vsevolozhsk, Saint Petersburg · Office workers · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases, Cases against Hizb ut-Tahrir, Cases related to mass actions
Sentence
6 years
Deprivation of liberty for 6 years in a general regime penal correctional institution with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to the placement of publications on the Internet for 3 years
Upheld December 12, 2024
Charges
- Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries (based on political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or on grounds of hatred or enmity in relation to any social group)
- Article 205.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
- Article 205.2 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Full wording of the charges
The reason for initiating the case was seven posts on the movement's page on VKontakte, published in early March, which were dedicated, in particular, to military operations in the Zaporozhye region, the shelling of Mariupol and the Kharkiv region, as well as an anti-war picket that Smirnova held on March 6.
Latest event
October 20, 2026 — case status changed
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, June 15, 2022
Timeline
· Cassation ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 6 years
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Criminal case opened
The case of Olga Smirnova regarding "fake news" about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, in St. Petersburg
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
· Persecution ends
· Persecution begins
Olga Smirnova's case of public justification of terrorism
Criminal case
The case of Olga Smirnova regarding "fake news" about the activities of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, in St. Petersburg
- Case number
- 1-99/2023 (1-1086/2022;)
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Olga Smirnova's case of public justification of terrorism
Details and sources
Full summary
An architect and artist, and an activist of the "Peaceful Resistance" movement. In October 2021, a case was opened against Smirnova for justifying terrorism in connection with an action in support of Crimean Tatars. It later became known that the case had been dropped; the decision to terminate the proceedings was dated October 2021, although Smirnova was not returned all the equipment seized during the search until 6 April 2022.
On 5 May 2022, Smirnova was detained following a search in connection with a criminal case on the dissemination of knowingly false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The following day, the court ordered that Smirnova be remanded in custody; the hearing was held behind closed doors and concluded late at night. On 10 October, the court returned the case to the prosecutor’s office; however, the case was subsequently sent back to the court. In February 2023, Smirnova’s defence lawyer, Dinar Idrisov, was barred from participating in the proceedings on the grounds that two witnesses in the case had issued powers of attorney to him.
On 30 August 2023, Smirnova was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in a general-regime penal colony.
In June 2024, it became known that Smirnova had been placed on a prison register as “prone to extremism”.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Place of detention
- Penal colony No. 2, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.1 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.