On September 26, 2024, vascular surgeon Ivan Tishchenko was arrested over donations to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (ACF).
"A doctor from God, a competent, sensitive and attentive doctor, a professional in his field,"—these are the reviews his patients write.
On December 24, the Perovsky District Court of Moscow sentenced him to four years in a general-regime colony for "financing an extremist organization" (Part 1 of Article 282.3 of the Russian Criminal Code). At the trial, the doctor explained that he had made donations to the ACF before it was declared extremist by the authorities and later forgot to cancel his subscription.
In June 2021, the Moscow City Court recognized the Anti-Corruption Foundation and Alexei Navalny's regional headquarters as extremist organizations and banned their activities in Russia. Since then, 14 people have been sentenced to large fines or suspended sentences for "financing an extremist organization," and at least 29 individuals have been charged. Ivan Tishchenko became the first person to receive a real prison term solely for donations to the ACF.
On February 4, 2025, the "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial" project recognized Ivan Tishchenko as a political prisoner, calling the court’s decision politically motivated and unlawful.
On April 17, the Moscow City Court began considering an appeal against the verdict. Despite the lawyer's motion for Ivan's personal attendance, he was connected to the session via video link from Moscow Detention Center No. 4 (SIZO-4). Ivan informed the court that he had submitted an additional appeal on April 11, but since it had not yet reached the court, the hearing was postponed.
The next court session will take place on May 15 at 11:00 a.m. at the Appellate Building of the Moscow City Court, located at 8k2, Bogorodsky Val Street.
If you speak Russian, you can write Ivan Tischenko a letter via prisonmail.online. For holders of Russian cards, the services f-pismo.ru and zt.ru are also available.
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