Investigators in the town of Kasli in Russia's Chelyabinsk region have charged a 17-year-old with participation in an organization designated as terrorist. The Investigative Committee linked the case to the distribution of election leaflets encouraging protest voting.
According to the authorities, the teenager used a Telegram bot in August and September and distributed more than 150 leaflets. Investigators describe the activity as participation in a banned organization. Their public account, however, does not identify that organization or describe the specific evidence connecting the teenager to it.
The accused is a minor, and his identity is not disclosed in this report. The public account presents the investigators' case; it does not include an explanation from the teenager or a legal representative.
Article 205.5 of Russia's Criminal Code concerns more than the distribution of political materials: the prosecution must allege participation in an organization that Russian authorities have designated as terrorist. The asserted organizational link, and not merely the wording of the leaflets, is therefore central to the legal accusation. No court has found the teenager guilty.