Human Rights Violations Report in the Republic of Gorny Altay
June 2026
Public activist of the Republic of Gorny Altay and mother of many children Aruna Arna was sentenced to 5 years in a colony for posting non-prohibited songs on the Internet
Numerous and varied charges were brought against Aruna Arna, a well-known Altay activist who opposed the destruction of local councils in the Republic. All of them bore the character of political repression and violated her civil and political rights.
On 1 June it became known that the 2nd Eastern District Military Court sentenced Aruna Arna, a mother of three young children, to 5 years in a colony for posting on the Internet two old, widely known songs of a hundred years’ antiquity that are in no way officially prohibited. The publication in her personal Telegram channel of the well-known songs “Warszawianka” and “The Internationale” was assessed by the court as calls to terrorism. The judge served the despotic authorities, who by means of such an absurd trial are attempting to intimidate civic activists and simply concerned people who are prepared to defend the rights of their people.
https://zona.media/news/2026/06/01/arna
Altay public activist Evgenia Todorova was dismissed from “Russian Post” because “by her public activity she discredits the post”
In addition to Aruna Arna, another activist who had gone out to protests against an unlawful arrest also suffered. Evgenia Tokorokova worked at the municipal enterprise “Russian Post.” In June Evgenia reported through a popular Telegram channel in Altay that pressure was being exerted on her, forcing her to resign “of her own free will.” According to her testimony, she was summoned for a “conversation” by the director of the Republic’s post office and a security officer, who informed her that she would be dismissed “of her own free will.” The reason for the dismissal was stated to be her public activity, which, in their words, discredits the post.
https://t.me/sohranim_altai/1042
https://semnasem.org/news/2026/06/05/altajskaya-aktivistka-rasskazala-o-prinuzhdenii-uvolitsya-iz-pochty-rossii-iz-za-ee-obshestvennoj-deyatelnosti
Altai deputy was fined for “incorrect” questions from voters at a meeting
The Ust-Kan District Court of the Republic of Altay imposed a repeated fine on a deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Altay “for violation of the rules for holding a public event.” The deputy held a meeting with his voters on 7 November 2025. And two of the mass of voters spoke not on the topic of the meeting dedicated to 7 November, but on the topic that concerns the people of Altay — the destruction of local councils and administrations.
As a result, in January 2026 Judge Svetlana Shadeeva imposed a fine on the deputy under Part 1 of Article 20.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation. In the judge’s opinion, the deputy’s guilt consisted in the fact that he did not interrupt his voters and allowed them to speak on the topics that concerned them, thereby “violating the rules for holding a public event.” In March the Supreme Court of the Republic of Altay cancelled the decision because of procedural violations. However, the accusers did not abandon attempts to convict the opposition politician and ultimately secured a fine for him.
At the end of 2025 – beginning of 2026 several opposition politicians in Altay were tried on the most varied pretexts. They declared political persecution.