Irina Bystrova

Head of an art studio in Petrozavodsk. Because of anti-war posts on social networks Bystrova was prosecuted under two articles - public justification of terrorism and dissemination of deliberately false information about the activities of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (at first it was reported that the case was brought under the first part of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code, but later it became known that Bystrova was charged with dissemination of false information motivated by hatred - point "D" part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code). According to Sever.Realii newspaper, "the reason for initiating the cases was two posts by Bystrova on social media. One of them contained a photograph of Putin engulfed in flames, with the wish that he burn in hell. The second post wrote about the injustice of the war with Ukraine and called for an end to it and for weapons to be turned "against the gang that has taken up residence in the Kremlin." As an illustration, Bystrova published photos and videos from a hospital in Mariupol, where Ukrainian children were killed and maimed by shelling." The court elected her a preventive measure in the form of a ban on certain actions. On the 27th of December 2022, Bystrova was sentenced to a fine of 600 thousand rubles with instalments for five years. The trial was held in a closed hearing. In 2024, a new case was brought against Bystrova for spreading deliberately false information about the Russian Armed Forces — this time because of her publications about the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and the strike on the centre of Kramatorsk. She was placed under house arrest. On the 7th of August 2025, Bystrova was sentenced to five and a half years suspended sentence.