Simbaev Dmitriy Vladimirovich

On August 14, 2025, Dmitry Simbayev, a 49-year-old citizen of Russia and Ireland, was detained at the airport in Chelyabinsk. The man had lived in Ireland for the last 25 years and came to Russia to visit his parents. Simbaya was interrogated by FSB officers, his belongings were searched and his phone was taken away, after which he was released on his own recognizance not to leave. At the end of August 2025, the man was detained again at a border checkpoint on the border with Kazakhstan, where Simbayev went with his sister to visit his aunt. A criminal case was opened against the man for justifying terrorism and calling for extremism. Personal correspondence with his wife could have been the reason for criminal prosecution due to messages found in his possession. It is not known exactly what statements these are and where exactly they were made." Petrenko suggested that the persecution may be related to her 2024 messages about the war in their correspondence. The defendant in the case was sent to a pre-trial detention center.