The Memorial, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, states that the oppression and imprisonment of political prisoners occur on a scale comparable to the Soviet Union's repressive regime.
Sergej Davidis, who leads Memorial's section for political prisoners, says that around 7,000 civilians in Ukraine have been detained by Russian authorities.
Memorial is banned from operating in Russia, but through sources' information, the organization reports that it is monitoring 1,300 cases in Russia considered to be political prisoners. Officially, Memorial has identified 778 cases, but notes that "this is just the tip of the iceberg" and that many people are being held in secret detention.
We are trying to create a more comprehensive list of people being illegally detained, in addition to those who are political prisoners, says Davidis.
Memorial's chairman Oleg Orlov, who has been imprisoned since he criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has been living in exile since he was part of an earlier prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries.
