Russian mathematician and journalist Semyon Krasotkin has been arrested on treason charges. One basis for the criminal case, according to an investigation by Vot Tak, was the paid Telegram Stars reactions he left on posts in Telegram channels. The reactions cited in the investigative materials were worth approximately 2,200 rubles.
Krasotkin, 27, was detained at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport in mid-August 2026 after returning from Kyrgyzstan.
According to the outlet's sources, border officials searched his phone and found paid reactions on posts published by opposition and Ukrainian Telegram channels.
After his detention, Krasotkin was repeatedly charged with the administrative offense of petty hooliganism. According to Vot Tak's sources, security officers threatened him with criminal prosecution, torture and physical violence.
On September 17, when his latest administrative detention was due to end, Krasotkin was not released. He was taken to the Moscow office of the Federal Security Service (FSB), where, according to the journalists, a criminal case was opened under Article 275 of Russia's Criminal Code, which covers high treason.
On September 19, a court ordered Krasotkin held in pretrial detention for two months. On October 14, the Moscow City Court rejected his appeal against the detention order.
One source familiar with the investigation said the case materials listed Telegram Stars reactions totaling 2,200 rubles. Another source said Krasotkin had sent paid reactions to a Ukrainian meme channel that was allegedly raising donations for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Krasotkin earned a master's degree from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and worked as a mathematician at the Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was also involved in journalism and helped develop the Russian Wikinews project.
This is not the first criminal case in Russia involving paid Telegram reactions. Previous reports have described prosecutions of messaging-app users for alleged financing of terrorism and, subsequently, under the country's treason law.
The circumstances of the case and reports of threats by security officers are based on Vot Tak's sources. Independent confirmation of these allegations from publicly available court documents has not been obtained.