Alexander Plotnikov

Resident of Chelyabinsk, practiced painting, restoration and tattooing. In the 1990s, according to his wife, he considered himself an ultra-right-wing skinhead. In 2005, he was sentenced to seven years and two months in a penal colony on charges of intentionally causing grievous bodily harm, causing the death of the victim by negligence, inflicting minor harm to health, and group robbery. He served five and a half years before being released on parole. According to his wife, Plotnikov did not commit any violent crimes after that.

From 2013 to 2021, Plotnikov participated in protest actions. He was brought to administrative responsibility because of a graffiti in support of prisoners of conscience, a song saved in "VKontakte" (article 20.29 of the Administrative Code), a photo of a tattoo similar to Nazi symbols in a tattoo portfolio (part 1 of article 20.3 of the Administrative Code), participation in an uncoordinated action (part 5 of article 20.2 of the Administrative Code).

In addition, both he and his wife were fined 10 thousand rubles under the article on incitement to hatred (article 20.3.1 of the CAO) because of some comments in "VKontakte". In October 2021, their flat was searched. A criminal case for incitement to hatred was brought against Plotnikov following a comment that insulted Roma people. He was sentenced to two years' probation. After completing his probation, he planned to emigrate, both due to persecution and because he disagreed with the attack on Ukraine.

On 15 July 2024, Plotnikov was detained while travelling to work. When he was brought home to be searched, he told his wife that he had been tortured with a stun gun for several hours. Plotnikov was then sent to custody under the article on public justification of terrorism. The reason was a comment under a video dated 23 June with footage of terrorists shooting at Makhachkala and Derbent. On 10 October 2024, Plotnikov was sentenced to six years in a general regime colony. The court recognised the writing of a comment during mobilisation as an aggravating circumstance.