Report on Human Rights Violations in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
January 2026
Since the beginning of the year, several events have occurred that reflect the ongoing human rights violations in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
This review is based on information from open sources: state websites and media, and does not claim to be exhaustive. However, it provides an opportunity to form an idea of the colonial processes taking place in the Republic of Sakha.
Violation of Freedom of Speech and Repressions for Messages in a Messenger
On January 28, the Namsky District Court of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) issued a ruling against Kirillina Maria.
According to the text of the ruling, Maria “…in a WhatsApp messenger group called “NVK SAHA” posted a video material titled “The Constitution is not toilet paper” with the addition of an image in the upper left corner in the form of three yakut cold weapons (Batya), this image is a symbol of the foreign public organization “Movement for the Independence of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)”, which by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation No. AKPI24-898s was recognized as a terrorist organization and its activities are prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation, thereby committing an administrative offense provided for in Part 1 of Article 20.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation.”
Thus, state prosecutors and the court violated not only Article 29 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, but also the obligations of the Russian Federation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
https://zona.media/news/2026/03/03/donaty
A little earlier, on January 26, the same Namsky District Court fined a resident of the Namsky district, S., for critical comments regarding the “titular” nation, namely Russians. Citizen S. left the comments under publications of a Belarusian Telegram channel. The prosecutor’s office initiated three (!) cases against him under Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences, one case for each comment. The fine amounted to 30,000 rubles (approximately 360 euros). This case looks especially cynical against the background of the complete impunity of crimes committed by the “Russian Community,” as well as the systemic nature of cases of racial discrimination against non-Russian peoples.
https://t.me/Torboznoe_radio/15748
Struggle for Democratic Elections and Violations of Political Rights
Deputies of the Neryuktyayinsky 2nd nasleg (settlement) were forced by blackmail and threats to cancel their self-dissolution.
Representatives of the people wanted to give the people of their nasleg the opportunity to hold elections for the head of the settlement. After the cancellation of elections for heads of settlements in Yakutia at the end of 2025, the only way to give people the opportunity to hold elections was the voluntary early resignation of the head of the settlement, Mikhail Terentyev.
The Council of Deputies accepted his voluntary resignation on December 30 (before the new law came into force), after which it scheduled elections and decided on self-dissolution in order to prevent these elections from being canceled in any way.
However, already on January 21, under pressure from district authorities and with the presence of a “supervisor” from the district prosecutor’s office at the meeting, the settlement deputies were forced to cancel their decision and adopt the decision demanded by the district authorities.
Relatives of the deputies reported threats and persecution from the central authorities.
While local real representatives of the people are fighting for democracy in their native Republic, representatives of the colonial authorities do not disdain blackmail and intimidation in order to establish their tyranny and destroy the possibility of democratic elections for the Yakuts.
Militarization of Children: A Child Was Crushed to Death by Military Equipment Put on Public Display
On January 20, a minor died at a military equipment exhibition in Yakutsk. In the imperial propaganda park “Russia – My History,” propagandists could not find anything better than to put on public display military equipment captured by aggressors on the territory of Ukraine, which is 9,000 kilometers away from Yakutsk. For comparison, the distance from Yakutsk to the center of the Earth is one and a half times less than to Ukraine.
Curious children climbed inside a tank, and one of the parts crushed the child. Death occurred immediately. Despite loud statements about initiated checks, no information about those accused of criminal negligence was announced. Obviously, the value of a Yakut child’s life is significantly lower than propaganda successes.
https://t.me/tprocsakha/11352 https://zona.media/news/2026/01/20/tank
Tax Increases Across Russia Are Destroying Local Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)
Sakha entrepreneurs who worked in harsh Arctic conditions, delivering essential goods over huge distances on roads without pavement, are forced to cease operations due to increased taxes. Even without the tax reform, working practically at zero, 25% of stores in remote uluses of Yakutia have already closed their shops.
Federal colonial authorities are absolving themselves of responsibility for the consequences of their tax reform for the people of Sakha Yakutia. Shifting the problem of excessive federal taxes onto local authorities, the imperial center claims that they should have prepared their proposals for special conditions for Yakutia.
https://t.me/Torboznoe_radio/15244#
Thus, due to colonial governance, which is unable to see the problems of the people living many thousands of kilometers from the imperial center, people have suffered again. Now residents of uluses beyond the Arctic Circle simply have nowhere to get bread, basic food products, and hygiene products. And restoring the activities of enterprises that have already ceased turnover and stopped operations is now almost impossible.
At the same time, as noted by the local Telegram channel “Torboznoe Radio,” the Minister of Industry of Yakutia (of non-Yakut nationality), in his report, calls the profits of companies with Moscow registration and Moscow owners “our records” and “our successes.” At the same time, the resources extracted from the land of the Yakut people bring billion-dollar profits only to Moscow oligarchs, and the imperial center takes the taxes on extraction, and local residents are almost never hired, instead bringing workers from the central part of Russia.
https://t.me/Torboznoe_radio/15121
Conclusion
Observing the ongoing systemic human rights violations in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), one could give recommendations to the federal authorities for their correction. However, when the center of control is located 8,000 kilometers from the Republic and serves exclusively its imperial interests, recommendations perhaps make little sense. The only thing that makes sense to do in this situation to restore human rights in Sakha Yakutia is to realize one’s right to self-determination.