Human rights activists have recognized a Volgograd resident convicted of treason as a political prisoner.

The punishment imposed on Andrei Glukhov, a student with cerebral palsy, for transferring three thousand rubles is disproportionate to the public danger, and his actions do not constitute a crime, human rights activists said, demanding an end to the prosecution of the Volgograd resident.

As reported by Caucasian Knot, in 2025, a court in Volgograd sentenced student Andrei Glukhov to 12 years in prison, finding the transfer of three thousand rubles to a Ukrainian account to be treason. Glukhov transferred the money to a person who claimed to be collecting signatures to expedite negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

The human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners. Memorial"* has recognized Volgograd student Andrei Glukhov, convicted of making two money transfers to a Ukrainian citizen, as a political prisoner.

Andrei Glukhov from Volgograd studied at the local polytechnic college. He suffers from cerebral palsy, has a third-degree disability, and requires ongoing therapy. In August 2024, FSB officers searched Glukhov's apartment. He was banned from using the internet and communicating with anyone except close relatives. In October 2024, he was arrested on criminal charges and sent to pretrial detention.

According to human rights activists, Andrei Glukhov clearly did not harm Russia's security and did not have the intent to commit the crime, as required by the treason law. His prosecution is even more absurd if he acted to spread a call for an end to hostilities.

They noted that the court failed to take into account his disability: according to his family, Andrei can barely care for himself in prison, and prolonged imprisonment without the necessary medical care could lead to a deterioration in his condition. Such a harsh punishment in this situation is inhumane and does not meet the standards of justice.

Human rights activists also emphasized that cases of treason in the form of financial assistance to a foreign state through transfers to Ukraine have become one of the most common tools for persecuting Russians for their pacifist stance, according to the project's January 19 announcement.

Human rights project "Support for Political Prisoners" Memorial considers Andrei Glukhov a political prisoner and demands his immediate release and an end to the criminal prosecution, the publication states.