July 10, 2026

Teenagers Tortured behind Bars


Teenagers Tortured behind Bars
Jail cell. The Russian Life files.

On July 3, 12 members of the Neo-Nazi organization Paragraf 88 were sentenced to 20 years in prison for attacks on LGBT people and migrants, as well as plotting to kill the head of state news outlet Russia Today, Margarita Simonian. The majority of those convicted were minors at the time of their arrest and faced severe torture.

On July 15, 2023, the FSB revealed it had arrested the teenagers because they were plotting to kill Simonian and TV presenter Ksenia Sobchak "by orders of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)." At the time, eight people were arrested, the majority of whom were teenagers who were later placed in pre-trial detention centers.

An eyewitness who saw the teenagers in the detention center told independent outlet Mediazona that they were tortured. According to the newspaper's source, Mikhail Balashov, one of the detainees confessed because "he was hit with such brutality that he no longer had another option." After the torture, the eyewitness said the detainee was shaking intensely: "[he] couldn't put two words together, [he] couldn't squeeze a hand."

A witness told Mediazona that another detainee, Yegor Savelev, was tortured with an electric gun. The source said that they overheard an agent say he could "smell fried beef" and that they had electrocuted Savalev's testicles. Another witness described the state of one of the detainees to Mediazona: "I saw him like this: vacant gaze, his face is all fucking stuffed."

In September 2023, only Balashov and Savalev were charged with conspiracy to kill Simonyan and the unlawful possession of weapons. According to investigators, the detainees surveilled the journalist's Moscow address for many days. Authorities alleged that "unidentified individuals" fighting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine promised Balashov and Savalev $50,000 for her murder. The detainees were also accused of using another minor to lure migrant men via Telegram into the forest and attack them.

The trial had to be conducted behind closed doors due to possible "provocations from a terrorist organization." The 12 members of the organization were forbidden from accessing websites and internet channels for at least two years.

You Might Also Like

A Bear Back Home
  • July 05, 2026

A Bear Back Home

A bear in Russia's Far East is back in the wild after an urban interlude.
Out of Gas?
  • June 29, 2026

Out of Gas?

Several Russian regions are imposing restrictions on fuel purchases after Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries.
No Stars for War
  • July 03, 2026

No Stars for War

Russian critics refused to review a Mariupol war drama during a series festival. Pro-war bloggers called it "Russophobia."
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955