The Case of the Bashkir Revolutionaries Ended with Sentences of Up to 22 Years 0 5

In Yekaterinburg, a verdict was delivered to members of a Marxist circle from Ufa, whom the court found guilty of preparing a violent seizure of power and changing the constitutional order of Russia. According to "Kommersant," all defendants were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment — from 16 to 22 years. Part of the sentences will be served in prison, while the rest will be in a strict regime colony.

Among the defendants were former deputy Dmitry Chuvilin, pensioner Yuri Efimov, doctor Alexey Dmitriev, former security officer Pavel Matisov, and Rinat Burkeyev. The investigation established that Matisov was the creator of the "terrorist cell," while the others participated in its activities. According to the prosecution, the group operated in the Republic of Bashkortostan from 2019 to 2022.

Rinat Matisov received 22 years of imprisonment, of which he will spend eight years in prison, and the remaining term in a strict regime colony. Yuri Efimov was sentenced to 18 years, seven of which he must serve in prison, with the rest in a strict regime colony. Dmitry Chuvilin and Alexey Dmitriev were each sentenced to 20 years in a strict regime colony. Rinat Burkeyev received 16 years in a strict regime colony.

Previously, all convicted individuals were included in the list of "terrorists and extremists."

In the first six months of 2025, Russian courts issued 597 sentences under "terrorism articles," marking a record high in the modern history of the country. According to a study by Kirill Parubets for the "First Department" project, 659 individuals became defendants in these cases, with courts issuing more than five sentences in such cases on average each working day.

The sharp increase in the number of "terrorism" cases began after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In 2020 and 2021, 310 and 356 individuals were convicted under the relevant articles, in 2022 — 491, in 2023 — 725, and in 2024 — 1026 individuals. All sentences were of a convicting nature. The most frequently charged article was 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — "Public Calls, Justification, and Propaganda of Terrorism." Until 2025, the second most common article was 205.1 — "Assistance to Terrorist Activities," but this year it was surpassed by article 205 — "Terrorist Act": 19 sentences against 33.