Vladimir Yarotskii
Vladimir Yarotskii, born 1985, Krasnodar Krai. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); Article 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code (Insulting the memory, symbols, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War (committed by a group of…); “Vladimir Yarotskii's case of Putin's portrait in the form of a penis and "fakes" about the Russian Armed Forces”, opened on June 1, 2023. Sentence (May 21, 2025): 5 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony; previously convicted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code. Status: deceased. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, July 31, 2024.
In brief
Krasnodar Krai · Krasnodar · Entrepreneurs · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases
Sentence
5 years 6 months
5 years and 6 months of imprisonment in a general regime colony
First instance, December 5, 2023: 1 year 6 months
Other verdicts
- May 8, 2024 — A fine of 350,000 roubles (≈$3825 as of 08.05.2024) with a ban on administering Internet sites for two years
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 354.1 part 4, Russian Criminal Code — Insulting the memory, symbols, and veterans of the Great Patriotic War (committed by a group of individuals or using mass media or the Internet)
- 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
According to the investigation, between February 28, 2016 to May 3, 2023 (exact time not specified), Vladimir Yarotskii, while being at an unidentified location, developed a criminal intent to desecrate the symbol of Russia's military glory - the St. George ribbon - using information and telecommunication networks, including the Internet. Thus, on May 3, 2023, at 7:47 p.m., Vladimir Yarotskii., being at his place of residence, in execution of his criminal intent to desecrate a symbol of Russia’s military glory - the St. George ribbon - published an image depicting a male genital organ with the St. George ribbon tied around it on his social media profile. Additionally, according to the law enforcers, In September 2022, Yarotskii published false and unverified information about the number of killed and missing servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine on his social media profile.
Latest event
May 7, 2026 — imprisonment ends
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, July 31, 2024
Timeline
· Imprisonment ends
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· Preventive measure: ban on certain activities
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 1 year 6 months
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Criminal case opened
Vladimir Yarotskii's case of Putin's portrait in the form of a penis and "fakes" about the Russian Armed Forces
· Persecution begins
Vladimir Yarotsky's case of public justification of terrorism
Criminal case
Vladimir Yarotsky's case of public justification of terrorism
- Case number
- 1-210/2024
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Vladimir Yarotskii's case of Putin's portrait in the form of a penis and "fakes" about the Russian Armed Forces
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Details and sources
Full summary
Yarotskii is a resident of Krasnodar. A criminal case on rehabilitation of Nazism was opened against him based on an image in "VKontakte" (Russian social media platform), which portrayed Putin in the form of a penis with a St George's ribbon. On December 5, 2023, Yarotskii was sentenced to one and a half years in a general regime colony. He pleaded guilty, and the trial was processed in a special procedure. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. On March 20, 2024, the appellate court overturned the verdict and sent the case for a retrial, in particular due to the fact that the case was heard not in the court that should have had jurisdiction over it.
No later than June 2023, there was another case opened against Yarotskii, this time of public justification of terrorism. On May 8, 2024, he was fined 350,000 rubles.
On June 17, 2023, Yarotskii was detained for five days under the administrative article on demonstration of banned symbols (part 1 of article 20.3 of the Administrative Code) due to using the logo of the Freedom of Russia Legion as his social media profile image.
In February 2024, a case was opened against Yarotskii for spreading "knowingly false information" about the Russian Armed Forces. On May 6, the case was merged with the first case (involving the portrait of Putin). On December 9, 2024, the accusation of spreading "fakes" about the Army was escalated from the 1st to the 2nd part of the corresponding article. On December 12, 2024, a restrictive measure imposed on him was changed to a ban on certain actions. On May 21, 2025, Krasnodar Regional Court sentenced Yarotskii to five and a half years in a general regime colony. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Persecution episodes
- 2
Other people prosecuted under Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.