Timofei Rudenko is a political prisoner
A former military psychologist was accused of justifying terrorism for comments on the Internet and sent to undergo compulsory psychiatric treatment
The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Timofei Rudenko a political prisoner. Rudenko has been prosecuted on charges of justification and propaganda of terrorism on the Internet for comments posted anonymously about the wars in Chechnya and Ukraine. Rudenko’s prosecution and subsequent committal to a psychiatric hospital violated his rights to fair trial and freedom from torture. We demand the immediate release of Timofei Rudenko from the psychiatric hospital and an investigation into allegations he has been tortured.
Who is Timofei Rudenko and what are the charges against him?
Timofei Rudenko is a retired military officer and a former military psychologist.
On 7 May 2022, law enforcement officers searched Rudenko’s home and detained him. He was then jailed for 10 days on administrative-law charges of petty hooliganism and disobeying the police. Subsequently, Rudenko said that the law enforcement officers tortured him to make him confess to preparing an act of terrorism. As he was leaving the detention centre, he was again detained and then jailed once more, on a charge of petty hooliganism, for 15 days. There followed a third jail term on the same charge. Rudenko spent a total of 35 days in jail.
On 18 May 2023 Rudenko was again detained as he was about to fly from Moscow to Kyrgyzstan. There followed a new series of five consecutive terms in jail. Each time Rudenko was accused of petty hooliganism, which he allegedly committed immediately upon his release. In reality, Rudenko was each time taken directly from the detention centre by law enforcement officers.
On 20 July 2023, a criminal case was opened against Rudenko on charges of justification and propaganda of terrorism (Article 205.2, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code) and he was remanded in custody. The charges were based on comments made by an internet user with the nickname ‘Maimul Maimulovich’ posted on Telegram in late April 2022. The investigative authorities stated that in these comments Rudenko allegedly spoke approvingly of the activities of commanders of Chechen forces such as Dzhokhar Dudayev and Ibn al-Khattab, and also gave a ‘positive assessment of hostile, violent, destructive actions’ in commenting on a possible response to Russian shelling of Ukrainian territory.
On 6 February 2024, the court ordered Rudenko to undergo compulsory medical treatment.
Why do we consider Rudenko a political prisoner?
There was no evidence Rudenko wrote the comments imputed to him. The first forensic examination of the comments posted by ‘Maimul Maimulovich’ was conducted in December 2022, six months after Rudenko was first jailed for an administrative-law offence and six months before his detention at the airport. However, the investigative authorities took more than six months after that to prepare the criminal case against Rudenko.
Furthermore, the online comments that gave rise to the criminal case contained no justification of terrorism. Their author cites facts about the war in Chechnya, analyses the political strategies and skills of field commanders, but makes no mention at all of terrorist activity. Regarding the comments on the war against Ukraine, these deal exclusively with military operations. Even the forensic examination ordered by the investigative authorities does not contain the word ‘terrorism,’
Compulsory placement in a psychiatric hospital is a measure under criminal law that is to be applied only in cases where an act dangerous to the public has been committed. Rudenko’s criminal prosecution is unlawful, and therefore it is unlawful to subject him to compulsory psychiatric treatment. This is a form of punitive psychiatry, which is becoming increasingly common in Russia.
A detailed description of Timofei Rudenko’s case and of our position is available on our website.
Recognition of an individual as a political prisoner does not imply the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project agrees with, or approves, their views, statements, or actions.
How can you help?
You can write to Timofei Rudenko at the following address:
In Russian: 142370, Московская область, Чеховский р-н, c. Троицкое, д. 5, ГБУЗ «ПКБ № 5 ДЗМ», Руденко Тимофею Александровичу 1992 г. р.
In English: Timofei Aleksandrovich Rudenko (born 1992), Clinical Psychiatric Hospital No. 5, Moscow Department of Health, Building No. 5, Troitskoe, Chekhovsky district, Moscow Oblast, Russia, 142370
Please note that letters in languages other than Russian are highly unlikely to reach the recipient.
You can donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.
