In Russia, in 2023, treason cases were initiated five times more often

Since the beginning of 2023, at least 20 criminal cases have been opened in Russia under the article on treason. This is five times more than in the same period last year. For the whole of 2022, 22 criminal cases of state treason were initiated. “Verstka” and “Agentstvo” report this.

According to open data, the number of criminal cases increased sharply in March – nine of them were initiated in a month. Residents of the Far East became extras in almost half of all cases.

“Cases about change of state were transferred to the regions (Moscow used to deal with them). The Far East had experience in such cases, and now, apparently, it is showing zeal,” Yevgeny Smirnov, a lawyer of the human rights project “First Department”, pointed out. According to him, the statistics may be incomplete, since the FSB publishes only that information about such cases “which is beneficial to them”.

According to Smirnov’s forecasts, at least one hundred cases will be established by the end of 2023. The lawyer explains this growth with the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the search for internal enemies, as well as the legislative changes that have taken place. In addition, in July 2022, a new crime was added to the article on treason – switching to the enemy’s side.

• In April, the State Duma introduced amendments to life imprisonment on charges of treason. Now the punishment under this article ranges from 12 to 20 years.
• Over the past 20 years, not a single acquittal has been handed down on charges of treason. Several cases were closed, including in connection with the death of the suspect.