Press Release, 18.03.2026

Photo: Marina Zheleznyakova / Photo by the Yabloko Press Service

On 18 March, Russia’s Fifth Court of Appeals heard the appeal of Marina Zheleznyakova, Chair of the Yabloko regional branch in the Maritime Territory, against her conviction on a charge of “rehabilitation of Nazism” and a fine of 2 million roubles. In the appeal, her lawyer Sergei Valiulin cited “significant”, “egregious” and “repeated” procedural violations by the Primorsky Regional Court, which had delivered its verdict in November 2025: the jury had included individuals who were ineligible under the law, the judge had breached the secrecy of deliberations, and the proceedings had been conducted according to a script drawn up by the prosecution. On those grounds, Marina Zheleznyakova demanded either that the conviction be quashed or that she be tried again in proceedings conducted in accordance with Russian law, rather than in flagrant disregard of it.

The background to the case is as follows. In May 2021, Marina Zheleznyakova — one of the most prominent Yabloko members and public figures in the Maritime Territory, who at the time served as Deputy Chair of the party’s regional branch — published a post on Telegram. The post was devoted to Victory Day of 9 May and to the conduct of the Soviet leadership during World War II. Three years later, in May 2024, that post became the pretext for the opening of an absurd criminal case on charges of “rehabilitation of Nazism” under Article 354.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Zheleznyakova was prosecuted for virtually a single line from that post: “We understand that the outbreak of the [Second World] war and the enormous number of casualties lie in large part with the communist, totalitarian regime!” The investigators, their experts and then the prosecution declined to distinguish between the concepts of “communist totalitarian regime” and “the USSR”, equating the two and thereby accusing Marina Zheleznyakova of “committing a crime against the peace and security of mankind”.

During the first-instance proceedings, Marina Zheleznyakova repeatedly urged those involved in the case to approach the post “with common sense” and, citing historical facts. The 2021 post had been written with three clear purposes: to congratulate her fellow citizens on 9 May, honour the memory of those who had died as heroes, and express the hope that such events would never be repeated. In her final statement, Marina Zheleznyakova declared:

“The value of human life, freedom and the wellbeing of people are not empty words to me — that is why I joined Yabloko, a party that has spent 30 years defending human rights and justice and advocating the peaceful development of our country. […] Of my lengthy post, the prosecution relies on JUST ONE sentence. What am I on trial for? For an opinion — for a moral and historical assessment of a regime that existed in our country in the past. The very nature of that system gave rise to tragic errors and countless casualties among Soviet citizens. I wrote that post with one purpose only: so that such things might never happen again. Imagine what kind of country we would have had if they hadn’t!”

The case was heard before a jury, which in November 2025 returned a verdict of guilty by a majority of five to three. In a separate vote on whether to show leniency, the jury was evenly split: four jurors considered that Marina Zheleznyakova deserved the court’s mercy; and the other four did not. Taking the jury’s view into account, the court sentenced her to a fine of 2 million roubles payable in instalments over 40 months — amounting to 50,000 roubles per month to the state treasury.

The appeal hearing of 18 March 2026

Marina Zheleznyakova’s defence was conducted by lawyer Sergei Valiulin, who stressed repeatedly in his appeal submission that the verdict had been reached in material breach of federal law and the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Russian Federation.

Speaking in court, Marina Zheleznyakova emphasised that she was seeking a fair hearing and respect, from both the court and the prosecution, for the norms of Russian legislation:

“If the state is to put me on trial, I want it to be done in accordance with the law, without the kind of flagrant, outrageous violations that have already occurred, and with full respect for my right to a defence, a fair trial, and the principle of adversarial proceedings.”

The prosecution, for its part, sought not only to uphold the verdict handed down by the regional court, but to make it harsher: in addition to the fine, the prosecution called for Zheleznyakova to be banned from administering Internet resources and maintaining social media accounts for three years.

The hearing lasted approximately two hours, at the end of which a panel of three judges ruled that the conviction of Marina Zheleznyakova should stand and the appeal be dismissed. The prosecution’s additional demand was likewise rejected.

Marina Zheleznyakova stated after the hearing that the appellate court’s decision would certainly be challenged by way of cassation appeal. She noted that the prolonged criminal proceedings had left her without a regular income as a self-employed person, and that her only income was now her pension. The monthly payment of 50,000 roubles over 40 months represented a critical burden for her.

Yabloko Chair Nikolai Rybakov stated that Yabloko was categorically opposed to the prosecution and conviction of Marina Zheleznyakova, who had been a party member since 2018. “She is a true patriot, and the real reason for her prosecution lies in the authorities’ inability to withstand fair competition from the leader of Maritime Territory Yabloko”.

It should also be noted that Marina Zheleznyakova had been subjected to pressure from the security services in connection with her active work in the Maritime Territory long before the “rehabilitation of Nazism” case arose. In 2021, her flat in Vladivostok was searched in connection with a criminal case concerning the blocking of streets in Moscow, an episode with which Zheleznyakova had no connection whatsoever. During the search, her husband was subjected to physical violence. A year later, in March 2022, FSB officers and officers from Centre E likewise searched Zheleznyakova’s flat, acting on an order to inspect the premises for extremist materials and electronic devices. According to the officers, Marina Zheleznyakova was not, at the time of the search, a suspect or a witness in any case.

Nevertheless, Marina Zheleznyakova continued throughout all the years that followed to work productively as Deputy Chair of Yabloko in the Maritime Territory. She has long been a prominent and committed civic activist and one of the most recognisable political figures in the region. In January 2026, Yabloko members in the Maritime Territory unanimously elected her as the new Chair of the regional branch.