Rafis Kashapov

On December, 28th, 2014 at 6 a.m., ten armed men showed up at the home of Rafis Kashapov, director of the Tatar Community Centre in Naberezhnye Chelny, and detained him. He was taken to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, and placed in pre-trial detention centre No. 1. A summons from the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Tatarstan dated December, 28th was sent to his home address after he was taken into custody, stated that on December, 27th a criminal case was opened against him for alleged incitement of hatred or enmity, as well as humiliation of human dignity. Later it became known that the charges also included calls to violate the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation. In June 2015, Kashapov's case was referred to court.

In a ruling dated December, 30th, handed over to Rafis Kashapov's lawyer, the Investigative Committee indicated that the charges in the criminal case against Rafis Kashapov relate to four messages on his personal VKontakte page. In these posts, Rafis Kashapov sharply criticised President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government for policy towards Ukraine and condemned the persecution of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea. The Investigative Committee claimed that a comprehensive study of the text found that the messages contained statements modelling hate speech and aimed at inciting hatred between groups. The Investigative Committee insisted on keeping Rafis Kashapov in custody, as he had no permanent sources of income and could continue to engage in criminal activities while at liberty. On December, 29th, the court approved a measure of restraint in the form of detention for Rafis Kashapov.

On January, 19th Rafis Kashapov started a hunger strike in protest against his arrest and illegal criminal prosecution. A member of the local Public Supervisory Commission, who visited him in the pre-trial detention centre, reported that the activist suffers from a pre-existing illness and complains of pressure from several law enforcement officers.

On September, 15th, 2015, he was sentenced to three years imprisonment in a general regime colony. On November, 13th the court of second instance left the sentence unchanged.

In the colony Kashapov was placed in a punishment isolation cell several times, then transferred to another colony in a cell-type room.

On December, 27th, 2017, he was released.

In February 2018, it became known that Kashapov left Russia.

On July, 27th, 2018, it became known that Kashapov was charged with incitement to hatred in connection with publications on the Internet.

In January 2023, Kashapov was included in the register of "foreign agents".

In 2024, it became known that a case was opened against Kashapov for public justification of terrorism due to statements about the strike on the industrial production special economic zone "Alabuga" in Tatarstan.

On June, 10th, 2024 it became known about a new case against Kashapov - about evasion of duties of a "foreign agent".