October 20, 2026, 7:29 PMRSSRU

Stepan Zimin

At largeChecked October 18, 2026

Stepan Zimin, born 1992, Moscow. Charges: Article 212 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Participation in mass riots); Article 318 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Use of non-dangerous violence against a government official); “A case of eight”. Sentence (February 23, 2014): sentenced to three years six months' imprisonment in a general regime colony. Status: at large. Recognition: Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, December 29, 2015; Amnesty International — recognised as a prisoner of conscience, December 9, 2013.

In brief

Moscow · Moscow · Manual workers · Cases related to mass actions

Sentence

3 years 6 months

sentenced to three years six months' imprisonment in a general regime colony

Verdict February 23, 2014

Upheld June 19, 2014

Charges

Full wording of the charges

Participated in mass riots on Bolotnaya Square on 6 May 2012, used violence against a police officer

Latest event

December 29, 2015 — recognised as a political prisoner

Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners

Checked October 18, 2026 · no changes since October 15

Recognition by rights defenders

Timeline

  1. · Recognised as a political prisoner

    Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners

  2. · Imprisonment ends

  3. · Persecution ends

  4. · Appeal ruling

    upheld

  5. · First-instance verdict

    guilty verdict · 3 years 6 months

  6. · Recognised as a prisoner of conscience

    Amnesty International

Criminal case

A case of eight

Other defendants in the case

Thematic group: Bolotnaya case; The case of the twelve

Details and sources

Full summary

According to OVD-Info

Stepan Zimin holds anarchist and anti-fascist views and has participated in the activities of the Occupy movement and actions in defence of forests near Moscow. On 6 May 2012, he was detained on Bolotnaya Street and charged with disobeying the lawful demands of police officers. A month later, he was arrested and charged with throwing a piece of asphalt at policeman Denis Kuvatov, as a result of which the so-called victim suffered a finger injury. However, as the results of the expertise showed, the cause of the injury suffered by Kuvatov - a fractured finger - could not have been caused by throwing a piece of asphalt. The results of the expert examination were not included by the investigators in the case file. There is no evidence that Zimin threw pieces of asphalt at all - on the contrary, there is evidence that the throwing of pieces of asphalt began after Zimin was detained. The prosecution in the debate as evidence of Zimin's criminal intent used entries in his diary and poems, which were not considered in court. Prosecutors in the debate asked to sentence Zimin to five and a half years in a general regime colony. Defence lawyers insist on his complete innocence. The Zamoskvoretsky court sentenced him to three and a half years in prison, the Moscow City Court left the decision unchanged. On 22 June 2015, he was released on parole.

All fields of the record
Citizenship
Russia
Sources (3)

Other people prosecuted under Article 212 part 2, Russian Criminal Code

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

All 146 under this article →