Surov Ivan Aleksandrovich

Police searched the home of 37-year-old local activist Ivan Surov in Tula on October 23, 2024. All of his electronic devices were confiscated, after which he was taken for questioning at the FSB. A criminal case for treason was opened against Surov. According to investigators, on February 24, 2022, after the announcement of the start of the "special military operation," Surov made a monetary transfer to a fund used to collect money for the purpose of further purchasing weapons, ammunition, uniforms, and equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Before the measure of restraint was chosen, the activist was placed in a temporary detention facility, and then the court sent him to a pre-trial detention center. Earlier, in April 2024, security forces came to Surov for a "room inspection." At that time, they also confiscated his devices and bank cards and took him for questioning at the FSB. The reason for the visit was two money transfers to Arkady Babchenko, a journalist living in Ukraine, sent before 2022. The security forces allegedly wanted to make sure that Surov "was not transferring money to the Armed Forces of Ukraine." Surov's acquaintances link the first search to the activist's participation in the elections: he was an observer and sued over falsification. On April 17, 2025, the Tula Regional Court found Ivan Surov guilty and sentenced him to 12.5 years in a strict regime colony and 1 year of restricted freedom. On July 22, 2025, the First Appellate Court of General Jurisdiction left the sentence unchanged.