Alexander Novosad

A resident of Chelyabinsk, Novosad is the head of a workshop at a company that sells and installs ventilation equipment. He was detained on 27 March 2024 by the Federal Security Service's officers over a case of calls to extremism and terrorism, based on comments he had posted in the Telegram channels: Krem, Chelyabinsk Budushchego, NeXTALive, Rospartizan, and Rosbunt. Novosad's comments contained the following lines: "Death to Putin", "Death to sectarians who support Putin", "Glory to Ukraine", "Freedom to the Ural Republic", "Our task is to defeat the dictatorial regime, help and support volunteers. This we can and must do," "Helping Russian citizens fighting on the side of Ukraine is the task of all Russians, leading to the overthrow of the Kremlin regime," and "ISIS, do your work, brothers." Later in court, Novosad said that during his arrest he was beaten and threatened with having his ear cut off. (This episode occurred just a few days after the detention of suspects in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, one of whom had his ear cut off by a law enforcement officer demanding a confession.) According to Novosad, after the initial beating he was taken to his apartment, forced to the floor, his trousers pulled down, blindfolded, and given a piece of paper. He was then ordered to write a "sincere confession", including an admission that he had transferred money to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Novosad said he initially refused but was compelled to comply after being kicked in the legs. After the search, he was beaten again. In the pre-trial detention center an officer allegedly advised him to state in his written explanation that his injuries had been sustained during home repairs.

On 11 March 2025, he was charged with state treason over the transfer of 15,000 rubles to some "representative of Ukraine". The defence insists that Novosad sent donations for "humanitarian purposes" to a man he had met online. The transfer was made to a Russian bank card. Novosad did not plead guilty to this episode.