​Political Prisoners Are Dying in Russian Jails. These People Are Keeping Their Memory Alive.

At least six Russian political prisoners have died in custody in 2025, according to documentation compiled by the Memorial Human Rights Centre and OVD-Info. The deaths have occurred in facilities across several regions, prompting renewed scrutiny from domestic activists and international observers over medical care and conditions in the penal system. Memorial, operating from exile after its 2021 liquidation by Russian authorities, recorded the cases through court documents, prisoner correspondence and family statements. OVD-Info, which tracks detentions and prosecutions, corroborated the figure in its periodic reports.

The Cases

Among the documented deaths was that of opposition activist and former municipal deputy Sergei Kovalyov in March 2025 at a penal colony in the Sverdlovsk region. Kovalyov had been serving a sentence on charges of discrediting the Russian armed forces. Prison authorities attributed the death to a heart condition; his family stated he had received inadequate treatment for known cardiovascular issues. Additional cases involved individuals prosecuted under extremism or treason statutes, including several convicted after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Rights groups noted that many had pre-existing health conditions that worsened during pretrial detention or after transfer to remote colonies.

Background on Political Imprisonment

Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) oversees more than 600,000 inmates. The category of “political prisoner” is defined by Memorial as those prosecuted for exercising rights to free expression, assembly or association, or for peaceful opposition to state policy. The organisation’s list exceeded 1,000 names before its forced closure. International bodies have repeatedly raised concerns. The European Court of Human Rights and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have issued findings on individ

By Irina Volkov, Staff Writer