We consider Aleksei Nuriev and Roman Nasryev political prisoners

A firefighter and a police officer from the Chelyabinsk region were each sentenced to 19 years in a strict regime colony for attempting to set fire to a military recruitment centre

The ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project, in accordance with international standards, considers Aleksei Nuriev and Roman Nasryev political prisoners. They are being prosecuted under the articles on committing a terrorist act and training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities for an attempted arson attack on a military recruitment centre, where no one was injured. The biased criminal prosecution and the severe punishment imposed on Nuriev and Nasryev, which is clearly disproportionate to the gravity of the offence, flagrantly violate their right to a fair trial and are aimed at intimidating those in Russia who disagree with the war against Ukraine.

We demand that the criminal prosecution of Aleksei Nuriev and Roman Nasryev under terrorism-related charges be stopped immediately and that their case be re-examined in a fair trial.

What is the case against Aleksei Nuriev and Roman Nasryev?

Aleksei Nuriev and Roman Nasryev are residents of Bakal, a town in the Chelyabinsk region (about 1,300 km southeast of Moscow), and musicians in a local rock band. Nuriev worked as a firefighter and Nasryev was a driver in the Russian National Guard.

On 11 October 2022, they attempted to set fire to the local military recruitment centre: they broke a window and threw Molotov cocktails inside. The fire was quickly extinguished by a security guard: only a fragment of linoleum was damaged.

Nuriev and Nasryev were detained a few hours later and then sent to a remand centre on a charge of intentional property destruction by arson (Article 167, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code).

However, after the FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia) intervened, the charge was reclassified: Nuriev and Nasryev were accused of committing a terrorist act (Article 205, Part 2, of the Russian Criminal Code) and training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities (Article 205.3 of the Russian Criminal Code). The arson was qualified as a terrorist act, and the recordings of training exercises found on Nuriev and Nasryev’s phones were presented as evidence of training for the purpose of carrying out terrorist activities.

On 10 April 2023, Nuriev and Nasryev were sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment, four of which they will spend in prison and the rest in a strict regime penal colony.

Why do we consider Aleksei Nuriev and Roman Nasryev political prisoners?

We believe that the actions of Nuriev and Nasryev do not qualify as a terrorist act since they were not aimed at intimidating the public. Moreover, the court did not prove intent to endanger someone’s life, destabilise the activities of the authorities, or somehow influence a decision-making process.

Their actions can be merely classified as damage to property, a far less serious crime (Article 167 of the Russian Criminal Code).

Similarly, it is absurd to prosecute Nuriev and Nasryev under the article on ‘training for terrorist activities’ just because the investigators decided to classify the failed arson of the military recruitment centre, where nobody was hurt, as an act of terrorism.

Further information about this case and the position of the ‘Political Prisoners. Memorial’ human rights project 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 of their views, statements, or actions.

How can you help?

You can write to the following address:

In Russian: 620019, г. Екатеринбург, ул. Малышева, 2б, ФКУ ИК-2 ГУФСИН России по Свердловской области, ПФРСИ, Насрыеву Роману Раифовичу, 1995 г.р. и Нуриеву Алексею Талгатовичу, 1985 г.р.

In English: Roman Raifovich Nasryev (born 1995) and Aleksei Talgatovich Nuriev (born 1985), Penal Colony No. 2, Russian Federal Penitentiary Service for Sverdlovskaya Oblast, 2b Malysheva Street, Ekaterinburg 620019, Russia

You can also send an electronic letter via Zonatelecom.

Here you can donate to support all political prisoners in Russia.