October 20, 2026, 10:55 AMRSSRU

Ruslan Sokolovsky

Not in RussiaChecked October 18, 2026

Ruslan Sokolovsky, born 1994, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Charges: Article 138.1, Russian Criminal Code (Illegal trafficking of special technical devices intended for covert information gathering); Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Public insult of religious feelings); Article 282 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Incitement of hatred or enmity); “Ruslan Sokolovskii's case”. Sentence (July 6, 2017): 2 years and 3 months of suspended sentence. Status: not in Russia. Recognition: Memorial Human Rights Centre — recognised as a political prisoner, December 2, 2016; Amnesty International — recognised as a prisoner of conscience, September 7, 2016.

In brief

Sverdlovsk Oblast · Yekaterinburg · Bloggers · Extremism cases

Sentence

2 years 3 months

2 years and 3 months of suspended sentence

Sentence changed July 6, 2017

First instance, May 10, 2017: 3 years

Charges

Full wording of the charges

published video clips which contained elements of insulting the feelings of believers and inciting religious hatred; illegally acquired a special technical device

Latest event

August 10, 2022 — persecution ends

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Persecution ends

  2. · Removed from the Rosfinmonitoring list

  3. · Appeal ruling

    sentence changed · 2 years 3 months

  4. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict · 3 years

  5. · Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”

  6. · Preventive measure: house arrest

Criminal case

Ruslan Sokolovskii's case

There are no other defendants in this case in the database.

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

In September 2016, it became known that Ruslan Sokolovskii, a popular Ekaterinburg blogger, was being charged with insulting the feelings of believers and inciting religious hatred. The charges were based on three videos in which he harshly criticized the Russian Orthodox Church: one showed him playing Pokémon Go in a church (which led to a probe in August 2016), another commented on the situation surrounding that incident, and the third responded to a local bishop’s remarks on marriage. On September 3, Sokolovskii was arrested by court order. He was also threatened with a case in connection with the discovery of a so-called "spy" pen in his possession. Sokolovskii reported receiving threats from a psychiatrist. On September 8, the court of second instance placed him under house arrest. On October 28, Sokolovskii was again placed in a pre-trial detention center. In January 2017, he was also charged with of illegal possession of special technical equipment after a search found a pen with a built-in video camera. On February 13, 2017, Sokolovskii was again placed under house arrest.

On May 11, 2017, Sokolovskii was given 3 and a half years of suspended sentence. On July 7, the appellate court reduced the suspended sentence to 2 years and 3 months, after the charges related to possessing a "spy pen" were dropped.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Sources (2)

Other people prosecuted under Article 138.1, Russian Criminal Code

Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.

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