Russia's Growing "Terrorist List"

According to the independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Evropa, some 250-350 persons in Russia are added each month to the government’s list of "terrorists and extremists." Those listed include well-known bloggers, opposition politicians, and ordinary citizens. The criteria for inclusion are opaque, and little is known about most individuals on the list. Novaya Gazeta Europe reviewed the entries and examined how the list has evolved and how Russian authorities are using it.

The list, maintained by Rosfinmonitoring, currently contains 18,771 names. It typically includes those charged under “terrorism” or “extremism” articles of the Russian Criminal Code. This includes membership in an extremist organization — a category that covers, for example, the "international satanist movement" and the "LGBT movement." A court conviction is not required to be added; being listed as a suspect in a case is enough.

Being added to the list severely complicates everyday life. People on it cannot spend more than R10,000 (about $125) per month, buy or sell property, or receive an inheritance.

Since early 2024, the list has been expanding at a much faster rate. A human rights advocate interviewed by Novaya Gazeta Evropa said that authorities are increasingly adding individuals who are under investigation and have not yet been convicted, effectively designating them terrorists or extremists in advance.

Starting in 2024, Rosfinmonitoring has been adding around 3,000 names a year. In the first months of 2025 alone, 3,031 people were added: an average of 319 per month. The acceleration in 2025 is also linked to new laws. Since December 28, 2024, suspects and those convicted of violent crimes “motivated by hatred,” as well as those charged with spreading "fakes" or "discrediting" the Russian army, can be added to the list. Historian of Russian cuisine Pavel Syutkin appears to have been listed for a conviction related to “fakes,” and in August, a man from Yekaterinburg was labeled a terrorist for shouting at a child wearing a hat with the letter Z. In summer 2025, sabotage was added as another basis for inclusion.

The number of convictions under articles that allow a person to be designated as a terrorist or extremist has also been climbing each year. In the first half of 2025, terrorism convictions increased 1.8 times compared with the previous year, and extremism convictions rose 1.5 times.

Before 2023, minors accounted for less than 2.5% of new additions to the list. As of July 2025, that number rose to 11%. In 2025 alone, 249 minors were added, 81 of whom were younger than 16 at the time.

One example is 15-year-old Bogdan Protazanov, who is accused of attempting a terrorist attack for allegedly setting fire to equipment at a railway station in Vyborg. He says he was coerced by men claiming to be FSB agents who threatened him and demanded he "complete a task." A similar case involved 16-year-old Arina Badina. In most cases, however, little is known about the charges against minors.

Those added are not only Russian citizens, although they are the majority. Currently, Russians make up 70% of new additions. The share of Ukrainians has grown from 5% in 2023 to 21%, including prisoners of war and civilians convicted in Russia under terrorism-related charges.

A human rights advocate says foreigners may also be added for symbolic reasons, such as Ukrainian politicians or military commanders, in the light of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In May 2023, a former adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Oleksiy Arestovych, was labeled a terrorist.

For well-known foreigners, being listed has little impact on their lives. But for lesser-known individuals, it may still cause problems abroad: if Russia notifies Interpol, they can be detained or even deported.

In 2019 and 2020, more than 40% of Russians added to the list came from the North Caucasus. That share has since fallen to 10%. Today, some seemingly random regions have the highest proportion relative to population. For example, over the past two years, Far Eastern Magadan Oblast has seven times more "terrorists" per capita than the national average, and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast has 4.4 times more.

There is no clear explanation for these disparities. A human rights advocate suggests it may be linked to more active local security forces. In absolute numbers, Dagestan has the most people added since 2023 (808), but it also has a population of 3.26 million. Next are Chechnya with 330 and Moscow with 264.

Removal from the list is possible after a sentence is served and the conviction is expunged, or if charges are dropped. However, charges in such cases are rarely dismissed, and most removals happen only after the conviction is cleared. Removal is at the discretion of security agencies; sometimes people are not taken off at all, or are removed early. In the first part of 2025, only 559 people were removed from the list, while 3,031 were added.