Zakhar Zaripov

Zaripov is a resident of Sovietskaya Gavan (Khabarovsk region), a maths teacher, and a writer.

He took part in protests against the construction of a coal terminal and against the arrest of Sergey Furgal, Khabarovsk's governor at the time. A case was initiated against him for incitement to terrorism after he published a post on "LiveJournal," a social media website, suggesting that the head ofChechnya should not to send Chechen soldiers to fight in Ukraine, but seek independence for Chechnya instead. On January 25, 2023, Zaripov's place was searched, and he was detained. On January 27, the court placed him under arrest.

Since September 2023, Zaripov had been complaining about a growing tumor. It wasn't until February 2024, six months later, that he was allowed to undergo an oncological examination. The diagnosis—parotid gland cancer—was confirmed only in September, by which time the disease had reached stage four. FSIN (Federal Penitentiary Service) medical staff stated that Zaripov's condition could constitute grounds for his release.

On April 1, 2024, Zaripov was sentenced to five years in a general regime colony.

Zaripov has two young daughters, the youngest of whom was born while he was already in custody.

At the end of October 2024, Zaripov underwent surgery at an oncology center and was transferred back to the pre-trial detention center. Due to the prolonged delay in the surgery, the tumor had spread into neighboring tissues. As a result, the right side of his face was completely paralyzed, and he has coordination issues with his right hand. In November, Zaripov's lawyer, Konstantin Bubov, reported that his client was losing his vision: after the operation, "half of his face became immobile, and his right eye was half-closed."

At that time, the prosecutor's office, the human rights commissioner’s office, and the FSIN in the Khabarovsk region told Zaripov's lawyer that they "did not have the authority" to keep him in the pre-trial detention center but also could not release him because the district military court and the appellate military court "did not respond to their requests." The appellate court, in turn, had not considered the appeal for more than six months.

On November 26, 2024, the appellate court replaced the prison sentence with a fine of 650,000 rubles. Taking into account the time already spent in custody, the fine was reduced to 350,000 rubles. On November 28, Zaripov was released.