October 20, 2026, 1:43 PMRSSRU

Artur Terchanyan

ImprisonedChecked October 18, 2026

Artur Terchanyan, born 1985, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 205 part 3, Russian Criminal Code (Terrorist attack (involving the use of hazardous substances or causing the death of a person)); Article 222.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code (Illegal acquisition, transfer, storage, transportation, shipment, or carrying of explosives or…); Article 226.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code (Illegal movement across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union or the State border of the…); “The case of Artem and Georgii Azatian, Oleg Antipov, Alexander Bylin, Vladimir Zloba, Roman Solomko, Artur Terchanyan, and Dmitrii Tyazhelykh”. Sentence (November 27, 2025): Life imprisonment with 6 years' prison and the rest in a special regime penal colony, a fine of 700 thousand roubles. Status: imprisoned. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, August 7, 2025.

In brief

Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Simferopol · Drivers · Terrorism cases

Sentence

Life imprisonment with 6 years' prison and the rest in a special regime penal colony, a fine of 700 thousand roubles

Verdict November 27, 2025

No information about an appeal ruling.

Charges

  • Article 205 part 3, Russian Criminal Code — Terrorist attack (involving the use of hazardous substances or causing the death of a person)
  • Article 222.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code — Illegal acquisition, transfer, storage, transportation, shipment, or carrying of explosives or explosive devices committed by an organized group of people
  • Article 226.1 part 3, Russian Criminal Code — Illegal movement across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union or the State border of the Russian Federation with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union of strategically important goods and resources, cultural values, especially valuable wild animals, aquatic biological resources, plants and mushrooms, committed by an organized group
Full wording of the charges

According to the investigation, he was involved in the transporting cargo that contained explosives later used in the Crimean Bridge demolition.

Latest event

November 27, 2025 — first-instance verdict

The court delivered a guilty verdict.

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict

  2. · Recognised as a political prisoner

    Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners

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

  4. · Persecution begins

    The case of Artem and Georgii Azatian, Oleg Antipov, Alexander Bylin, Vladimir Zloba, Roman Solomko, Artur Terchanyan, and Dmitrii Tyazhelykh

Criminal case

The case of Artem and Georgii Azatian, Oleg Antipov, Alexander Bylin, Vladimir Zloba, Roman Solomko, Artur Terchanyan, and Dmitrii Tyazhelykh

Case number
1-236/2025 (1-600/2024;)

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: The case of the 2022 Crimean Bridge explosion

Write a letter

The address is not listed in the database.

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

He was a trucker living in Georgia. He was carrying a cargo containing explosives that were later used to blow up the Crimean bridge, which, according to the defence, he did not know about. He was taken into custody on charges of involvement in the terrorist attack. On 27 November 2025, Terchanyan was sentenced to life imprisonment.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Armenia
Sources (1)

Other people prosecuted under Article 205 part 3, Russian Criminal Code

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

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