Source: www.forum18.org
Date: December 9, 2025
https://www.forum18.org/archiv
By Victoria Arnold, Forum 18
The Investigative Committee in Moscow has opened a criminal case against
Orthodox journalist Kseniya Luchenko for a Telegram post in which she
condemned a Russian missile strike on a Kyiv children's hospital in July
2024, and contrasted this with the Russian state and Moscow Patriarchate's
promotion of so-called "traditional values".
Investigators opened the case against Luchenko under Criminal Code Article
207.3, Part 2 Paragraph d ("Public dissemination of knowingly false
information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for
reasons of political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or
enmity, or for reasons of hatred or enmity against any social group"). The
maximum punishment is a 10-year jail term (see below).
Asked why Luchenko is facing criminal investigation, an official at the
office in Moscow responsible for the criminal case told Forum 18: "Come
into the office and we can tell you." Told that Forum 18 is based outside
Russia, the official (who did not give his name) put the phone down. Forum
18's written enquiry to the Federal Investigative Committee’s press
service went unanswered (see below).
Although Luchenko left Russia in 2022, a Moscow court issued a detention
order for her in absentia on 24 November 2025. Officials had already had
her placed on the Interior Ministry's Federal Wanted List, the Federal
Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) "List of Terrorists and
Extremists", and the Justice Ministry's register of "foreign agents" (see
below).
Although Luchenko remains outside Russia, the measures which state
authorities have taken against her nevertheless have consequences. If she
returns to Moscow to visit her elderly mother, she would be immediately
arrested. She also risks being sent back to Russia if she travels to any
state with bilateral extradition agreements with Russia (see below).
Because of both her "foreign agent" status and being added to the
Rosfinmonitoring list, books Luchenko has published since Russia's invasion
of Ukraine are unavailable in Russian shops and libraries, she told Forum
18 (see below).
Luchenko also raised the possibility of problems with banking in Western
countries as a result of being added to the Rosfinmonitoring "List of
Terrorists and Extremists". "Proving that it's a Russian list and that it's
not necessary to block the person's account is very difficult", she told
Forum 18 (see below).
A Moscow Buddhist is due to stand trial a second time on charges of
distributing "false information" about the Russian Armed Forces, after an
appeal court overturned his conviction and 8-year prison sentence. At his
original trial, Ilya Vasilyev had asked for a public defender – the
judge's refusal to allow this constituted a violation of his right to a
defence, Moscow City Court found on 22 October (see forthcoming F18News
article).
Prosecutors accused Vasilyev, director of the Moscow Zen Centre, of "Public
dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the Armed
Forces of the Russian Federation for reasons of political, ideological,
racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or for reasons of hatred or
enmity against any social group" (Criminal Code Article 207.3, Part 2
Paragraph d) for an English-language Facebook post (made "solely out of
religious conviction", his lawyer told Forum 18) about a Russian missile
attack on the Ukrainian city of Kherson in 2022. At present, he is still in
detention at Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina prison (see forthcoming F18News
article).
On 25 November 2025, Protestant pastor Nikolay Romanyuk appealed
unsuccessfully at Moscow Regional Court against his criminal conviction for
opposing Russia's war in Ukraine on religious grounds. He is now awaiting
transfer to a prison colony to begin serving his 4-year sentence.
Balashikha City Court had found him guilty on 3 September under Criminal
Code Article 280.4 ("Public calls to implement activities directed against
the security of the Russian Federation, or to obstruct the exercise by
government bodies and their officials of their powers to ensure the
security of the Russian Federation") for preaching that church members
should not fight in Ukraine (see forthcoming F18News article).
Criminal case opened against Orthodox journalist outside Russia
On 29 September, the Investigative Committee's Moscow Investigative
Directorate announced on its Telegram channel
(https://t.me/skmoscowgsu/5362
against a Russian Orthodox journalist. Kseniya Valeryevna Luchenko (born 13
June 1979) has consistently opposed Russia's war against Ukraine and
written critically about the Moscow Patriarchate's active support for it.
She left Russia in April 2022, but it is possible that she will be tried in
absentia.
Investigators in the capital's South Western Administrative District opened
the case under Criminal Code Article 207.3 ("Public dissemination, under
the guise of credible statements, of knowingly false information on the use
of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation"), Part 2, Paragraph d ("for
reasons of political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or
enmity, or for reasons of hatred or enmity against any social group").
Punishments for this include a fine of 3 million to 5 million Roubles (30
to 50 months' average wage), up to 5 years' assigned labour (prinuditelniye
raboty) plus "deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage
in certain activities for up to 5 years", or 5 to 10 years' imprisonment
followed by the same ban on activities.
Asked on 4 November why Luchenko is facing criminal investigation, an
official at the office in Moscow responsible for the criminal case told
Forum 18: "Come into the office and we can tell you." Told that Forum 18 is
based outside Russia, the official (who did not give his name) put the
phone down.
Forum 18 put the same question in writing to the Federal Investigative
Committee's press service on 21 November, and asked whether Luchenko would
be tried in absentia. Forum 18 had received no response by the end of the
Moscow working day of 9 December.
Luchenko runs the Orthodoxy and Zombies Telegram channel
(https://t.me/orthozombies), which posts independent news and comment on
the Russian Orthodox Church and supports priests who have opposed Russia's
war against Ukraine. It appears that her prosecution is based on a single
post on this channel dating from the summer of 2024, condemning the Russian
airstrike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.
On 16 May 2025, the Justice Ministry added Luchenko to its register of
"foreign agents" (https://www.forum18.org/archi
On 17 October 2025, investigators had her name added to the Federal
Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) "List of Terrorists and
Extremists" (https://www.forum18.org/archi
assets banks are obliged to freeze (although small transactions are
permitted).
The Interior Ministry has also placed Luchenko on its Federal Wanted List,
Mediazona noted on 24 October 2025
(https://zona.media/news/2025/
44 individuals wanted by Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan on Russia's Federal Wanted List
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18 asked Interpol on 4 November if it had issued a Red Notice related
to Luchenko at Russia's request. Russia is known to have illegally asked
Interpol (https://www.forum18.org/archi
distribute Red Notices about individuals. Interpol had not answered this
question by the end of the working day in Lyon of 9 December.
"They celebrate the festive liturgy .. while bombs are falling on Ukrainian
children"
On 24 November, according to the Moscow court system's online portal,
Cheryomushki District Court ruled that Kseniya Luchenko should be placed in
pre-trial detention. While she remains outside the country, this decision
has no immediate effect, but it would be enacted were she to return to
Russia. Luchenko lodged an appeal against the detention order on 1
December.
The court hearing also noted that the investigators are prosecuting
Luchenko for a post she made on her Telegram channel
(https://t.me/orthozombies/901
text on the website of independent media outlet Ekho Moskvy
(https://echofm.online/opinion
same day.
The post reads: "The Russian Orthodox state [Rossiyskoye pravoslavnoye
gosudarstvo] celebrated 'The Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity', by
striking a children's hospital in Kyiv with a missile".
"And in Russia, a 'Family Parade' is underway. It began over the weekend,
but is taking place today in most cities. With daisies and the flags of the
World Congress of the Russian People. And with the active participation of
dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church. They celebrate the festive
liturgy, then march in this ersatz procession of the cross [krestniy khod],
singing troparia [hymns], and then presenting medals to large families,
while bombs are falling on Ukrainian children. These are the 'values of
Holy Rus'."
On the morning of 8 July 2024, a Russian missile had hit the Okhmatdyt
children's hospital
(https://www.hrw.org/news/2024
in Kyiv, injuring ten children and destroying or severely damaging several
departments.
In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree designating 8
July "The Day of Family, Love, and Fidelity", "in order to preserve
traditional family values and the spiritual-moral education of children and
youth".
Trial in absentia?
It is unclear whether a court will hold a trial of Kseniya Luchenko in
absentia. It is legally possible and appears to have become more frequent
in recent years. On 9 December 2025, opposition politician Ilya Yashin
(released in a prisoner exchange in 2024 and now living in Germany) was
convicted of "evading the duties of a foreign agent" (Criminal Code Article
330.1) and sentenced in absentia to a year and 10 months' imprisonment.
"Theoretically, what difference does it make to [investigative agencies]
whether a person is in Russia or not?", Luchenko commented to Forum 18 on
12 November. "They also pursue criminal cases [in absentia] for ordinary
criminal offences like fraud, not political ones. The goal is probably to
intimidate and punish."
Consequences: Arrest on return, books unavailable, banking problems
Although Kseniya Luchenko remains outside Russia, the measures which state
authorities have taken against her nevertheless have consequences. Being
placed on the Interior Ministry's wanted list means that she would be
arrested if she returned.
"My mother lives in Moscow; she's 81 years old, which means if something
happens to her, I won't be able to help", Luchenko explained to Forum 18 on
26 November. She also risks being sent back to Russia if she travels to any
state with bilateral extradition agreements with Russia. Russia has also
been known to ask other countries to deport Russian nationals
(https://t.me/endoflaw/1821) on the basis of immigration violations in
cases in which extradition is not possible.
Because of both her "foreign agent" status
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
the Rosfinmonitoring list, books Luchenko has published since Russia's
invasion of Ukraine are unavailable in Russian shops and libraries, she
noted on 8 December. They are still for sale, however, on online
marketplaces.
Although there is no explicit legal prohibition on selling books by
"foreign agents" as long as they are marked as such and covered in opaque
packaging, new legislation introduced further restrictions from September
2025. Shops which sell such books are now barred from providing books to
schools and libraries, cannot access preferential rent, advertising, and
social entrepreneurship schemes, and are ineligible for municipal support
for publishing projects.
Luchenko also raised the possibility of problems with banking in Western
countries as a result of being added to the Russian Federal Financial
Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring) "List of Terrorists and Extremists".
Western banks are still making decisions on whether to block Russian
citizens' accounts, or allow them to open new ones, based on information
from Rosfinmonitoring
(https://carnegieendowment.org
Updates to the Rosfinmonitoring "List of Terrorists and Extremists" are
automatically sent to international companies which aggregate data for
"Know Your Customer" and anti-money-laundering systems used by financial
institutions in the almost entirely automated process of carrying out due
diligence on people or organisations wishing to open accounts or perform
transactions. As a result, people who appear on the list because they have
been prosecuted for exercising their right to freedom of religion or
belief, opposing the war in Ukraine, or criticising the Russian government,
will be unable to open new accounts abroad or may see their existing assets
frozen.
"In the Western financial system, everyone on a terror list looks equally
risky, whether they are a Russian political prisoner or an ISIS fighter",
Aleksandra Prokopenko of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre noted on 13
November
(https://carnegieendowment.org
The burden of dealing with unwarranted blocks or refusals lies on the
affected individuals, who must usually hire lawyers and apply to banks'
compliance departments with documentation proving the political nature of
their inclusion on the Rosfinmonitoring List.
"Proving that it's a Russian list and that it's not necessary to block the
person's account is very difficult", Kseniya Luchenko observed to Forum 18.
"There are precedents of Russians and Belarusians having their accounts
blocked in European banks because they had been added to Rosfinmonitoring's
registry." The issue is important "because it shows how Russia is reaching
out to us in the West".
In December 2024, President Vladimir Putin signed into law a set of
amendments
(https://www.consultant.ru/doc
to anti-money-laundering legislation, which expanded the list of Criminal
Code Articles under which prosecution can lead to inclusion on the
Rosfinmonitoring List. As of 1 June 2025, when the amendments came into
force, investigators or prosecutors may have an individual added to the
list if he or she has been named as a suspect, charged, or convicted under
the following (as well as for a number of violent offences):
Article 207.3, Part 2, Paragraph d ("Public dissemination of knowingly
false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian
Federation, for reasons of political, ideological, racial, national or
religious hatred or enmity, or for reasons of hatred or enmity against any
social group") and Part 3 ("Public dissemination of knowingly false
information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation"
when this has "grave consequences");
Article 280.4, Part 2, Paragraph d ("Public calls to implement activities
directed against the security of the Russian Federation, or to obstruct the
exercise by government bodies and their officials of their powers to ensure
the security of the Russian Federation, for reasons of political,
ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or for reasons
of hatred or enmity against any social group") and Part 3 ("Public calls to
implement activities directed against the security of the Russian
Federation, or to obstruct the exercise by government bodies and their
officials of their powers to ensure the security of the Russian Federation,
carried out by an organised group");
Article 280.2 ("Violation of the territorial integrity of the Russian
Federation");
Article 282.4 ("Repeated propaganda or public display of Nazi paraphernalia
or symbols, or paraphernalia or symbols of extremist organisations, or
other paraphernalia or symbols, the propaganda or public display of which
is prohibited by federal law"). (END)
More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Russia
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
For background information see Forum 18's Russia religious freedom survey
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
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