Hundreds of Russian teenagers face terrorism charges amid wartime crackdown

Hundreds of Russian teenagers have become caught up in criminal cases involving terrorism, sabotage, extremism and treason since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to human rights organisations.

One of the latest cases involves 16-year-old schoolgirl Vitalina Prening from Novosibirsk, who Russian media reports say has been accused of planning a terrorist attack, belonging to a terrorist organisation and undergoing terrorist training.

Prening was added to Russia's terrorist and extremist registry on August 10. Details of the allegations against her have not been made public.

People who know Prening have described her on social media as an active and accomplished teenager who drew, sang, practised ballroom dancing and took part in state-sponsored public events.

Her case is among a growing number involving Russian minors as authorities have intensified their crackdown on activities considered threatening to the state.

According to a July report by Department One, an exiled legal and human rights organisation that assists Russians accused of treason and espionage, at least 779 minors are listed on Russia's terrorist and extremist registry. Almost 97 per cent were added to the list after 2022.

The registry includes people convicted of offences as well as individuals who have been formally identified as suspects or are facing criminal proceedings.

Memorial, a human rights organisation banned by Russian authorities, has said at least 124 minors are currently facing politically motivated criminal charges.

Rights groups say the cases involving young people have increasingly been brought under terrorism and extremism laws. Proceedings are frequently conducted behind closed doors, limiting public scrutiny of the evidence and allegations.

The cases vary considerably. Some teenagers have been accused of anti-war activism or criticising authorities online, while others have been accused of being recruited through social media by Ukrainian intelligence services to conduct sabotage or terrorist attacks inside Russia.

Human rights campaigners say the war has contributed to a significant increase in political repression.

Among those prosecuted is Arseny Turbin, who was 15 when he was arrested in 2023. He had distributed leaflets criticising President Vladimir Putin, established a Telegram channel called Free Russia and posted photographs of himself with a white-blue-white flag associated with Russian anti-war protesters.

His mother, Irina Turbina, said her son told investigators that he believed Russia was the aggressor in the war.

A Russian court sentenced Turbin to five years in prison in 2024 following a closed trial. Authorities later opened another case against him, alleging that he had taken part in unrest at his penal colony.

Another case involves Ivan Maltsev, believed to be the youngest person currently listed on Russia's terrorist and extremist registry. Maltsev, from Barnaul in Siberia, was accused of attempting to set fire to a police vehicle. His father has denied the allegations.

Maltsev turned 14 in June, the minimum age of criminal responsibility in Russia for certain serious offences, including terrorism.

Rights campaigners have also accused Russian security agencies of using tactics that can encourage vulnerable young people to engage in behaviour that can subsequently be treated as criminal.

Department One has alleged that some teenagers are encouraged to form groups, make provocative statements or post material online before security officials intervene and build criminal cases around their activities.

Campaigners say the secrecy surrounding terrorism investigations and trials makes it difficult for defendants, families and the wider public to scrutinise the evidence.

They argue that the increasing number of cases involving minors is also intended to create a wider climate of fear, discouraging young Russians from publicly expressing opposition to government policy or the war in Ukraine.

The Russian authorities have maintained extensive national security measures since the invasion, while rights organisations have continued to warn that the laws governing terrorism, extremism and political dissent are being applied increasingly broadly.