Dmitry Alexandrovich Ivanov ( Russian: Дмитрий Александрович Иванов, born on August 5, 1999, Moscow) is a Russian programmer, civil activist, creator of the Telegram channel "Protest MSU”, and correspondent for For the human rights [ ru]. On March 7, 2023, the Timiryazevsky Court in Moscow found Ivanov guilty under the fake news law and sentenced him to 8,5 years of imprisonment in a correctional facility . ^[1] As of 2023, Amnesty International has recognized Ivanov as a "prisoner of conscience”, ^[2] and the Memorial Society has listed him among political prisoners in Russia. ^[3]

Biography

Early life and education

Dmitry Ivanov was born on August 5, 1999, in Moscow. ^[4]

In 2017, Ivanov enrolled at Lomonosov Moscow State University at the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics. ^[5] His active participation in the political life of the country prevented him from attending academic classes regularly. Consequently, in 2020, while in his third year of study, he was compelled to take academic leave. ^[6] In 2022, Ivanov was supposed to graduate and obtain his diploma. On April 28, 2022, he was detained as he exited the university premises. ^[7] During the trial, sought a reduction in the term of his administrative arrest, citing an upcoming final state exam scheduled for June 1. Despite the motion, the court denied the request, and Ivanov remained under arrest until June 2. Throughout his period of administrative detention, Ivanov, via legal representation, filed applications to postpone both the state exam and thesis defense day. However, these requests were rejected, as the university mandated the physical presence of the student. On July 1, 2022, Dmitry Ivanov was expelled from Lomonosov Moscow State University. While he had completed the curriculum requirements, he had not successfully passed the state final certification. ^{[8] [9]}  

Political activity

Since 2017, Ivanov has been involved in various public campaigns, advocating for individuals such as Moscow State University graduate student Azat Miftakhov, ^[10] programmer Konstantin Kotov, ^[11] as well as those implicated in the New Greatness Case [ ru] and the Network Case. ^{[12] [6]} He actively participated in anti-government demonstrations and provided assistance to detainees. Ivanov worked as a human rights defender, offering support to those detained at rallies, and facilitated communication between detainees and their families by visiting police departments. ^{[13] [14]}

In 2018, Dmitry Ivanov began anonymously running his Telegram channel "Protest MSU". Through this platform, he addressed issues concerning the university, particularly highlighting students' opposition to the placement of the 2018 FIFA World Cup fan zone beneath the windows of the main building of Moscow State University. ^[15] On December 16, 2018, during a "Meeting of Free Citizens", held in Lubyanka Square, Ivanov was detained by Alexei Okopny, an employee of the Centre for Combating Extremism, for taking photographs. ^[16] Ivanov endured physical assault, threats of sexual violence, and coercion to reveal the password to his phone. ^[17] When he refused to provide the password, the phone was destroyed. Consequently, access to the Telegram channel "Protest MSU" was lost. ^[18] On December 17, 2018, Ivanov re-launched the Telegram channel under its original name. His first post was about the torture he was subjected to, as well as information about himself. Following this incident, both the channel and Ivanov's identity became publicly known, leading to a surge in popularity. Subsequently, Ivanov faced frequent detentions at rallies, demonstrations, and upon leaving his house. ^[19]

Following Alexei Navalny's return to Russia and his subsequent arrest on January 18, 2021, a series of spontaneous protests and detentions took place across Russia for a month. ^{[20] [21]} According to the Russian Interior Ministry, the number of individuals detained during the rallies nationwide exceeded 17600 people. ^[22] As a result, there was an insufficient capacity in Moscow's specialized detention facilities to accommodate all those arrested. Ivanov himself was detained at a protest on February 2, 2021. ^[23] On February 3, the Meshchansky Court sentenced him to 30 days of arrest under Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. ^[19] Alongside more than 500 others, Ivanov was transferred to serve his administrative detention at the Sakharovo Detention Center. ^[24] During his time at the Sakharovo Center, Ivanov faced additional charges under Article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for shouting political slogans while detainees were walking. Upon the completion of 30 days of administrative arrest, Ivanov was detained again on his way out of the detention center. On March 5, 2021, the Troitsky Court imposed additional 10 days of arrest on Ivanov under Article 19.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. ^[25] Overall, prior to facing criminal prosecution, Dmitry Ivanov spent 101 days under administrative arrest between 2020 and 2022. ^[26]

In 2021, Ivanov actively participated in the election campaign of Mikhail Lobanov, who was nominated by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation for a seat in the State Duma. ^{[27] [28]}

Criminal persecution

Following the eruption of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ivanov adopted a strong anti-war stance and participated in anti-war rallies. ^[29] On April 28, 2022, he was detained as he exited the Moscow State University building after completing an exam. He was taken to the Department of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Ramenki District. ^[30] The following day, Judge Maximov of the Nikulinsky District Court ordered Ivanov's arrest under Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation for one of his posts on the "Protest MSU" channel, citing his alleged involvement in organizing a protest. ^[31] Consequently, he was sent to serve his administrative arrest in the Sakharovo Center. Despite being released after 10 days of arrest, Ivanov was intercepted before reaching the gate by a waiting police car. ^[32] On May 8, 2022, he was detained once again and taken to the Department of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Tverskoy district. The following day, sentenced him to additional 25 days of arrest under Part 8 of Article 20.2 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation for reposting content from the Telegram channel "Navalny" regarding the organization of an anti-war protest on March 6. ^[33] Ivanov was sent to serve his administrative arrest at Special Reception Center No. 2 in the Khoroshyovo-Mnyovniki District. ^[34]

On the evening of June 2, 2022, Ivanov was scheduled to be released from the special detention center. However, he was unexpectedly escorted directly from his cell to the first department of the Investigative Committee of Russia, ^[35] where he was informed of the opening of a criminal case against him. On the same day, the apartments of Ivanov's friends and his mother were subjected to searches. Ivanov's mother and friends were also taken to the investigative committee. Three friends, his mother, and her husband were interviewed as witnesses in the case. ^[36]

The pre-investigative examination of the posts on the Telegram channel "Protest MSU" commenced on April 1, 2022. A psychological and linguistic forensic examination of the posts spanning from March 4, 2022, to April 4, 2022, was initiated. ^[37] On June 3, 2022, the Presnensky District Court remanded Ivanov to pre-trial detention for a period of 2 months until August 2, 2022. ^[38] Ivanov, maintaining his innocence, appealed the court's decision. On July 18, 2022, the Moscow City Court reviewed the appeal concerning the measure of restraint during the investigation, affirming the existing preventive measure. On July 19, 2022, he case was reclassified as an act committed without the involvement of other individuals. On July 21, 2022, the Presnensky District Court extended Ivanov's detention in the investigative isolator for an additional month until September 2, 2022. ^[39]

On August 5, 2022, the Timiryazevsky District Court extended Ivanov's detention in the investigative isolator by six months until February 3, 2023. ^[40]  On August 26, 2022, the first hearing scheduled in the Timiryazevsky District Court was postponed to September 21, 2022, as the convoy dailed to bring Ivanov to the court. ^[41] On September 21, 2022, the hearing began in the Timiryazevsky District Court. During the session, three prosecution witnesses were questioned. On October 5, 2022, a second hearing was held in the Timiryazevsky District Court. Two prosecution witnesses were questioned, including ex-deputy dean of the Faculty of Fundamental Physics and Chemical Engineering. ^{[42] [43]} On October 12, 2022, the Moscow City Court reviewed two appeals against the preventive measures issued by the Presnensky District Court to keep Ivanov in pre-trial detention until September 2, 2022, and by the Timiryazevsky District Court to keep him in pre-trial detention until February 3, 2023. Both measures of restraint on detention were left unchanged. On October 26, 2022, during the third hearing at the Timiryazevsky District Court, the prosecutor began reading through volumes of the criminal case file. On November 2, 2022, the fourth hearing took place, and the reading of the volumes of the criminal case file was completed.

On January 19, 2023, after another hearing, Ivanov was assaulted by an escort within the courthouse. ^{[44] [45]} The convoy also threatened Ivanov with sexual violence. ^[46]  On March 7, 2023, the Timiryazevsky Court convicted Dmitry Ivanov of disseminating "false information about the Russian armed forces" and sentenced him to 8,5 years in a penal colony. ^{[47] [37]}

In 2022–2023, several public figures came forward to support Ivanov. Among them were Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief and Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov, journalist and reporter Andrei Loshak, journalist and film critic Anton Dolin, journalist and public figure Nikolai Svanidze, journalist Anton Orekh [ ru], politician Marina Litvinovich, former head of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights Mikhail Fedotov, dissident and politician Valery Borshchev [ ru], co-founder of the Yabloko party Vladimir Lukin, writer and journalist Leonid Nikitinsky [ ru], human rights activist and coordinator of the Russia Behind Bars Foundation Alla Frolova, actress Mariya Shalayeva, professor and academician Arutyun Avetisyan [ ru], former vice president and executive director of Transparency International Elena Panfilova, politician Konstantin Yankauskas [ ru], sociologist Grigory Yudin, film director Boris Khlebnikov, editor-in-chief of TV Rain channel Tikhon Dzyadko. ^{[6] [4] [48]}

On July 15, 2022, the human rights organization "Memorial" recognized Dmitri Ivanov as a political prisoner. On March 7, 2023, Amnesty International also acknowledged him as a "prisoner of conscience". ^{[2] [3]}

References