At least 213 Russians and residents of annexed Crimea have become defendants in criminal cases for insulting the feelings of believers since 2013. Administrative protocols for desecrating religious symbols were drawn up for at least 116 more people, according to "Verstka"*.
In the 2010s, such cases were rare — less than 20 people were tried per year. The number of prosecuted individuals began to rise in 2021 and reached a record in 2024 — 74 people. From 2013 to 2024, according to the statistics of the Judicial Department, 177 people were tried for insulting believers. Only one person was acquitted, but for various reasons, every fourth case was dismissed in court. 14 people were sent for compulsory treatment.
A third of the administrative cases for desecrating religious symbols in 2024 were attributed to one person — animal rights activist Yuri Koretsky. After participating in a protest against the use of animals in circus performances, 11 protocols were drawn up against him. The reason was caricatures of Christianity that he published on "VKontakte". As evidence of guilt, the police presented to the court a "study" conducted by priests of the Moscow church of St. John of Kronstadt.
In the incomplete year of 2025, at least 59 people have already become defendants in cases of "disrespect" for religion.
According to the analysis by "Verstka", believers, including priests, actively testify as prosecution witnesses, write expert opinions for law enforcement, and in some cases become initiators of prosecution.
Due to "vague formulations and dependence on the subjective feeling of 'offense'", the line between administrative and criminal prosecution is very thin, says "OVD-Info"* lawyer Eva Levenberg.
Articles on insulting the feelings of believers can be considered political, noted lawyer of the human rights project "First Department"* Yevgeny Smirnov. "The practice of their application should be considered with regard to the political processes within the country," he says. "The increase in political tension in recent years and the start of a full-scale invasion have directly influenced the rise in the number of political cases. Both articles are introduced and used for punishment for words, pictures, and symbolic actions."
* Recognized as "foreign agents" in Russia