Bogdan Ziza
Bogdan Ziza, born 1994, Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea. Charges: Article 205 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Terrorist attack); Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)); Article 214 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Vandalism in public places or on transportation); “Bogdan Ziza’s case of preparing a terrorist attack in Yevpatoria”. Sentence (June 6, 2023): 15 years’ imprisonment in a strict regime colony. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since May 1, 2022; place of detention: Penal colony No. 8, Buryatia. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, April 5, 2024.
In brief
Occupied territory of Republic of Crimea · Simferopol · Artists · Anti-war cases, Terrorism cases
Sentence
15 years
imprisonment in a strict regime colony
Upheld September 27, 2023
Charges
- Article 205 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Terrorist attack
- Article 205.2 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Public incitement to terrorism or justification of terrorism (using media or the internet)
- Article 214 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Vandalism in public places or on transportation
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, on 16 May he poured blue and yellow paint on the local administration building and threw a Molotov cocktail at it. In addition, he prepared a video manifesto in which he justified terrorist activities and made threats concerning new terrorist attacks. The video contained the following language: "I would like to address all the representatives of graffiti culture, all the vandals in Crimea, in Russia and Belarus. I would like to remind you that graffiti culture is, first and foremost, a protest. And now is as good a time as any to declare your protest. There is a terrible war going on, unleashed by Putin and the state machine, propaganda is trying to convince people that this is normal. It's trying to convince them that they don't need to do anything, [they need] to sit in silence and watch and wait, that nobody can do anything about it. But now it is very important to go out on the streets and express your protest, so that those who are against this war, who sit at home and are afraid to express their opinion, see that they are not alone. There are many of us. And we outnumber those who support this war. But they took away this opportunity, they took away our ability to go out during the day, but we can go out at night. I urge everyone to go out at night to the courtyard and protest, vandalism can be for the good, and this is the case. No to war." "This is the first warning for the administration of the city of Yevpatoria, as long as you do not speak out against the war, such actions will continue in the city, and how soon I will move from the buildings to you personally, this depends only on you, so please think about this."
Latest event
April 5, 2024 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, April 5, 2024
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Appeal ruling
upheld
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 15 years
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Bogdan Ziza’s case of preparing a terrorist attack in Yevpatoria
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
Pre-trial Detention Centre №1 (SIZO-1) of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russian Federation for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol
Criminal case
Bogdan Ziza’s case of preparing a terrorist attack in Yevpatoria
- Case number
- 1-73/2023 (1-240/2022;)
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Write a letter
Facility: Penal colony No. 8, Buryatia
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
670042, г.Улан-Удэ, Спиртзаводской тракт, 4 км, ФКУ «ИК № 8 УФСИН России по Республике Бурятия», Зиза Богдан Сергеевич, 1994 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
A Yevpatoria resident and an artist. He was detained on 16 May 2022, the day when an unknown person poured blue and yellow paint on the Yevpatoria administration building and threw a Molotov cocktail at it. Law enforcement officers published a video in which Ziza pleads guilty. His friend believes that the artist could have confessed under duress. Later, Ziza himself said that the officers beat him in order to get him to exhibit “more sincere repentance”. Ziza was charged with an attempted terrorist act. He was taken into custody. According to unconfirmed reports, a case of attempted damage or destruction of property has also been initiated, but this article is not included in the final version of the charges. In addition, cases of vandalism and public justification of terrorism have been initiated against him because of a video manifesto that Ziza planned to publish. The final version of the case contains two counts under the article on committing a terrorist act: the throwing of the Molotov cocktail is classified as a terrorist act itself, while the phrase in the video that more will come is treated as a threat of a terrorist act. After the prosecution requested that he be sentenced to 18 years in a strict regime penal colony, Ziza went on a hunger strike. On 6 June 2023, he was sentenced to 15 years in a strict regime penal colony. On 27 June, Ziza ended his hunger strike.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 205 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.