Story perspectives

Russia's Alarming Surge: 341 Minors Labeled Terrorists in 2025

12/26/2025

Summary

Story summary

In 2025, Russia added 341 minors to its register of 'terrorists and extremists,' the highest in seven years.
Timofei Mamoshkin, 14-year-old, was listed and charged under terrorism laws.
Nika Novak, a journalist, was sentenced to four years for collaboration with a foreign organization and faced harsh conditions in Penal Colony No. 11.
Officials later said her disappearance was a miscommunication, illustrating crackdown on press freedom with 27 journalists imprisoned since 2022.

History

Historical Context

In 2016, Russia implemented strict anti-terrorism laws, intensifying state control over dissent. The Memorial Human Rights Center reported over 300 individuals labeled as extremists that year, including 341 minors. The regime's repression of free expression is evident in the imprisonment of 27 journalists, highlighted by Nika Novak's four-year sentence, reflecting a broader trend of silencing dissent in contemporary Russia.

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Story summary

In 2025, Russia added 341 minors to its register of 'terrorists and extremists,' the highest in seven years.
Timofei Mamoshkin, 14-year-old, was listed and charged under terrorism laws.
Nika Novak, a journalist, was sentenced to four years for collaboration with a foreign organization and faced harsh conditions in Penal Colony No. 11.
Officials later said her disappearance was a miscommunication, illustrating crackdown on press freedom with 27 journalists imprisoned since 2022.

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