Russian Student With Cerebral Palsy Sentenced To 12 Years For Treason Over €33 Donation To Ukraine

A 21-year-old Russian student with cerebral palsy has been sentenced to 12 years in a maximum-security prison for treason after sending a €33 online donation to support Ukraine, according to independent Russian media reports.

Andrei Glukhov, a second-year student at Volgograd Polytechnic College, was arrested following a search of the apartment he shared with his mother in September 2024. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) confiscated computer equipment and interrogated him, detaining him in October.

His father, Eduard Glukhov, told independent news outlet Mediazona that Andrei has limited mobility, with impaired function in his right arm and leg. “My son’s right arm and leg don’t work well,” he said, adding that Andrei mostly stayed at home and opposed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Eduard also explained that Andrei had connected online with someone claiming to be Ukrainian, who encouraged donations to support peace efforts.

The court found Andrei guilty under Article 275 of Russia’s Criminal Code, which deals with treason. The verdict was delivered on May 29 after a month-long trial.

Since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have increasingly used treason charges to prosecute people for actions seen as supportive of Ukraine, including online comments and humanitarian donations.

The case has drawn outrage from human rights groups and independent media, who argue that vulnerable individuals are being targeted and punished harshly for minor acts of dissent.

Legal experts have also voiced concern over the expanding use of wartime laws to suppress opposition, especially when prosecutions are based on limited evidence or minimal activity.