Tougher prison conditions for ‘terrorists’ and foreigners in Russia
Prison conditions to be toughened for those convicted of “extremism”, including foreigners
03.06.2025
Article published on the moscowtimes.ru website
Russia is drawing up additional restrictions on the movement of prisoners between penal colonies in different regions.
A bill to this effect has been drafted by the Ministry of Justice and was supported by the Federal Prison Service, the Federal Security Service, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova during a recent meeting of the Legislative Activities’ Commission, an informed source told Kommersant.
There are plans to add Russians classed as “extremists” by the authorities, as well as foreigners and stateless persons, to the list of those who, under the Criminal Procedures Code (CPC), are prohibited from being moved to colonies in regions where their close relatives live (only “terrorists” live there). According to the bill’s Explanatory Note, this will help “prevent the spread of extremist and terrorist ideology” in Russian prison colonies.
The Ministry of Justice is proposing to amend Articles 73 and 81 of the CPC. Among other things, they establish the right to transfer a prisoner to a penal colony in a region where a close relative lives (or the nearest to that region) once during the course of their sentence. Part 4 of Article 73 states that such a right is denied to those who have shown “a commitment to terrorist ideology”, its dissemination and influence over other prisoners. Such detainees serve their sentences in prison colonies determined by the Federal Prison Service.
According to Vladimir Gruzdev of the Association of Russian Lawyers, if the bill is adopted restrictions on movement will apply to those who hold “extremist” views, as well as to all persons listed on Rosfinmonitoring’s terrorist and extremist register (which currently contains 17,424 people).
Since 2021, the number of foreigners held in Russian penal colonies has increased by 876 (having risen to 32,100, including stateless people, as of 1 July last year). Their distribution is also growing: in some high-security colonies the number of criminals from Central Asia has reached 48%, mainly by moving people from one prison facility to another, says the Justice Ministry.
“Prisoners often have extensive criminal connections and the ability to exert a negative influence on others who are serving their sentences. As holders of extremist and terrorist beliefs, this group of detainees can cause problems for a prison’s operational regime and reduce the effectiveness of the educational/reform process”, said the Ministry.
According to Verstka, 3,152 Russians were included on the extremists and terrorists register last year, 72% (or 1,324 people) higher than in 2023, which was also a record year (1,828). The overall number comprised 920 “extremists” and 2,232 “terrorists”.
