Quarterly Report on Human Rights violations in the Sakha Yakutia Republic
Summer 2025
Overall picture
In the summer of 2025, a series of problematic situations occurred in the Sakha Yakutia Republic, in which local and federal authorities violated human rights. The main ones related to the rights to freedom of speech and the right to a fair trial. There were also instances of pressure on the media and activists, limiting freedom of expression and criticism of the government as a political right. These events highlight the need for further efforts to protect human rights in the region.
The trial of journalist Alexandra Alexandrova
The court has begun hearing the case of independent Yakut journalist Alexandrova, who is accused of publicly calling for terrorism. The exact reason for these charges remains unknown. Alexandrova’s colleagues speculate that they were prompted by her critical posts regarding the government’s actions on her personal Telegram channel. This case raises concerns about a potential human rights violation, particularly in the context of freedom of speech and expression. If the charges against Alexandrova are indeed related to her criticism of the government, this could indicate persecution for her political views, which is a violation of international human rights standards. Freedom of speech is guaranteed by various international treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is also important to consider the authorities’ concealment of the context and circumstances of the case, including the legality and validity of the charges.
https://meduza.io/news/2025/03/21/fsb-zaderzhala-yakutskuyu-zhurnalistku-sashu-aleksandrovu-po-delu-o-prizyvah-k-terrorizmu
Shaman Alexander Gabyshev has been transferred to a psychiatric hospital with more lenient conditions
Shaman Alexander Gabyshev has been transferred from a specialized psychiatric hospital in Ussuriysk to a general hospital in Yakutsk, where conditions are more lenient. This was reported by lawyer Alexey Pryanishnikov. His defense team has been seeking mitigation of his conditions for the past several years; courts have repeatedly granted their requests, but the prosecutor’s office has appealed these decisions, ultimately canceling the transfer to a general hospital. In June 2025, the Primorsky Krai Court approved his transfer to a Yakutsk hospital. The transfer was scheduled for late July, but he was not admitted to the hospital until early September. He can now call his family and friends.
Shaman Alexander Gabyshev gained widespread notoriety in March 2019 when he began a walking journey from Yakutia to Moscow with the goal of “exorcising the demon from the Kremlin,” lest “something very bad happen to Russia and the world.” He covered approximately three thousand kilometers of the eight thousand kilometers and attracted many followers.
Russian court extends stay at mental hospital for shaman who promised to “banish” Putin — Novaya Gazeta Europe
«Бог так сказал, что Путин — демон». Как шаман Александр Габышев шел крестовым походом на Кремль, чтобы остановить Путина: отрывок из готовящейся к публикации документальной книги — Новая газета Европа
However, on the night of September 19, he was detained by security forces on the border of Buryatia and the Irkutsk region, and the following day, the shaman was placed in the republic’s psychiatric hospital. He was later released on bail. In January 2020, Alexander Gabyshev announced a new march on Moscow to “exorcise the demon president,” which he planned to begin in June. However, in May, he was detained and sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he remained until July 22. In mid-January 2021, Gabyshev again announced a march on Moscow, which he planned for March, but was detained at the end of January. Two weeks later, the court placed the shaman in a psychiatric hospital.
“Он предсказывал эту войну”. Шаману Габышеву продлили принудительное лечение
Alexander Gabyshev’s situation highlights numerous human rights violations, including the right to liberty and security, the right to voluntary medical interventions, the right to freedom of speech, and the right to a fair trial. Criminal prosecution and subsequent forced detention in psychiatric institutions for political activities and expression of views may be considered unlawful violence for dissent.
A deputy accused of separatism was expelled from the New People faction
On September 30, Nyurguyana Zamorshchikova, leader of the New People faction in the State Assembly (Il Tumen) of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), announced the decision to expel Alexander Ivanov. Ivanov was expelled from the New People faction, but retained his seat as a deputy. He was elected to the Yakutia parliament on the New People list but remained a non-partisan supporter. As a reminder, at the end of August, several Telegram channels distributed an excerpt from an interview Alexander Ivanov had with a Turkish blogger, in which the deputy discussed the inevitable separation of Yakutia from Russia. New People Party Chairman Alexey Nechayev responded to this information: “The goal of the New People Party is to make life in Russia better and the country stronger. It turns out that not all of our deputies understand this. Yakutia deputy Alexander Ivanov even went so far as to say that Yakutia would be better off separating from Russia in the future. Traitors have no place here. I demand that the New People deputies in Il Tumen expel Ivanov from the faction as soon as possible. There can be no other solution.”
https://sakhaday.ru/news/aleksandra-ivanova-isklyuchili-iz-frakcii-novye-lyudi
This situation poses several potential human rights violations. Expulsion of a deputy from a faction for political statements could be seen as a restriction of freedom of speech. If Alexander Ivanov’s statements did not contain calls for violence or lawbreaking, then suppressing them could constitute a violation of his right to freedom of political expression. The party’s actions are aimed at suppressing dissent, punishing undesirable political opinions, and restricting opportunities for political activity, which violates political rights.
Yakut comedian Nurgun Atakov was fined for insulting Russians
On July 3, the Yakutsk City Court found Nurgun Atakov, host of the show “Turkic Phrasebook,” and stand-up comedian under Article 20.3.1 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offenses. He had previously made disparaging remarks about the Russian language. https://sakhaday.ru/news/vedushchego-tyurkskogo-razgovornika-nurguna-atakova-oshtrafovali-za-oskorblenie-russkih
The case was based on a humorous video published on the Telegram channel “Torboznoye Radio.” The humorous video, dedicated to discrimination against the Yakut people by Russians, includes the following lines: “My native language is Yakut. I…(f*ck) the Russian language.”
On November 6, 2024, A.N. Romanenko, Head of the Center for Combating Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), sent the investigation materials to the Center for Strategic Studies under the Head of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). On April 22, 2025, an expert from the Center concluded that Nurgun Atakov’s statements contained signs of humiliation of a national group, specifically Russians. On July 3, the Yakutsk City Court found Atakov guilty in absentia and fined him 10,000 rubles. As expected, Atakov himself was unable to appear in court, as he has been living in Kazakhstan for last three years.
In this case, several aspects concerning possible human rights violations can also be considered. Nurgun Atakov did not incite violence or hatred; his words may be protected by the right to freedom of expression. It is important to assess how justified and proportionate the application of Article 20.3.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation was. If Nurgun Atakov’s statements were within the permissible limits, his punishment may be considered excessive. If Nurgun Atakov was unable to participate in the trial due to his residence abroad, this may affect his right to a defense and a fair trial. If the court’s decision and the actions of law enforcement agencies reveal elements of bias against Nurgun Atakov’s native language or ethnicity, this may indicate discrimination. Human rights work requires a thorough analysis of specific circumstances and legislation, and in this case, there are grounds to believe that Nurgun Atakov’s rights may have been violated, particularly in the context of freedom of speech and the right to a defense.
A student convicted of exchanging messages with a Ukrainian friend was transferred to a Yakutsk penal colony
Artem Konstantinov, a 25-year-old MSTU student who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for exchanging messages with a Ukrainian, was transferred to a penal colony in Yakutsk, Memorial reports. Earlier in 2024, the Murmansk Regional Court upheld Konstantinov’s sentence to 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony under Article 275 of the Criminal Code, “high treason.”
According to the FSB, the young man “established contact with representatives of a Ukrainian armed group and expressed his consent to join them for subsequent participation in military operations on Ukrainian territory against the Russian Armed Forces” in a Telegram message. “The court established that between 2022 and 2023, the man sent a voice message to the SBU compromising the Russian Armed Forces, which was subsequently published online, along with photocopies of documents, including on the activities of the Murmansk Region Military Commissariat,” the regional court said in a press release.
Konstantinov told OVD-Info that security forces detained him in June 2022 when he arrived at university for an exam. They placed a bag over his head and then placed him in a minivan. There, he was forced to unlock his phone, forced to his knees, and beaten on the head, demanding that he confess to working for the SBU. That same day, his laptop, phone, and flash drives were confiscated from his home, and he was given a warning about the inadmissibility of treason. He was then taken to the FSB for interrogation, where he was questioned about his correspondence with a friend in Ukraine. Over the following weeks, security forces continued to summon him for “informal conversations.” Konstantinov was expelled from Bauman Moscow State Technical University after publishing information about his persecution, and in early 2023, he went silent.
https://ovd.info/express-news/2025/04/16/osuzhdennogo-iz-za-perepiski-s-ukrainskim-drugom-studenta-etapirovali-v
This case raises several potential human rights violations. If Artem Konstantinov was convicted for corresponding with a friend in Ukraine and expressing his political views, this could be considered a violation of the right to freedom of speech. A sentence of 13 years in a maximum-security penal colony on charges of treason requires clear evidence, a fair trial, and, most importantly, actual actions. In this case, the human right to a fair trial has been simply trampled. Reports that Artem Konstantinov was detained, beaten, and threatened constitute serious accusations against law enforcement. The use of torture and other cruel treatment violates international treaties and norms. If security forces attempted to coerce him into cooperation under threat of criminal prosecution, this could also be considered a violation of human rights, including protection from coercion. Expulsion from the university violates the right to education. Taken together, this situation has resulted in significant violations of human rights, including freedom of speech, the right to a defence and a fair trial, the right to education, and the prohibition of torture.
A chronicle of pressure on LGBT people
A man in women’s clothing from Yakutia was fined 50,000 rubles under the “LGBT propaganda” article (Part 1, Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). The press service of the Yakutsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia reported that “the offender, while intoxicated, demonstratively applied makeup, used obscene language, harassed passersby, and behaved provocatively in public places.”
https://gazeta.a42.ru/lenta/news/211883-v-yakutske-zaderzali-netrezvogo-muzcinu-v-plate
However, in addition to the charges for petty hooliganism (Part 1, Article 20.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and appearing in public while intoxicated (Article 20.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), the citizen was also charged by court with administrative liability under Part 1, Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for wearing women’s clothing. Article 6.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation “Propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations and/or preferences, gender reassignment, or refusal to have children” carries a penalty of 50,000 rubles. In this situation, a fine for wearing women’s clothing and makeup could be considered discrimination based on gender identity.
In Yakutia, child protection authorities took three young children away from a mother of many children to an orphanage
The publication notes that the woman’s husband died of a serious illness, and then her brother died in the war in Ukraine. She claims that after she acquired the rights to her late husband’s apartment, which he had received as an orphan, authorities began to threaten her. This refers to the controversial videos that recently circulated online. In the first, a boy cries and says they want to take him and his sisters to an orphanage because their mother had been drinking. “Yes, my mother had been drinking that day. But should they deprive me of my parental rights because of that? I don’t want to go to an orphanage! Help us so they can send us home!” he sobs, pleading for help. In the second video, the boy’s mother, also in tears, explains the situation. “My brother went missing on February 23rd. I had a few drinks then. Child protection authorities made it look like there had been a stabbing.” They said, “Finally, you’ve been caught. Respect and admiration to you. Remember how shamefully you stole our apartment? Now look: we’ll leave you without the children and the apartment.” I replied, “Take the apartment, but leave the children.” Please, I know it’s my fault… But many people drink, and they don’t even register… I couldn’t even imagine that something like this could happen… I have very good children. I hope someone will help me,” she says. Yakutia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Tuyaara Vasilyeva, responded to the situation. It turned out the family had three children. Both parents were orphans. The father died in 2022 from illness. The Children’s Rights Commissioner’s office had previously been involved in resolving the issue of receiving the husband’s apartment after his death, as it had not been properly registered. The apartment was then successfully recovered in court. In July, child protection authorities filed a lawsuit to terminate the mother’s parental rights, and the court ruled that the mother’s parental rights were limited. In this situation, due to widespread publicity, the children have now been returned to their mother. However, such arbitrary practices by the child protection system are troubling.