Persecution of Russian Nationalists Following the Outbreak of War

• In Event: Law as a Tool of Authoritarian Control in Contemporary Russia

Abstract

Since the introduction of anti-extremist legislation, Russian nationalists have been one of the primary targets of persecution. This position remained dominant until 2022, despite fluctuations in their own level of activity. The outbreak of a large-scale war altered many dynamics, including accelerating the shift in official propaganda toward aligning with far-right rhetoric. As a result, the Russian nationalist movement is currently experiencing resurgence, unfolding on two fronts: on the more visible level, a national-populist movement loyal to the authorities is growing; on the underground level, groups focused on street violence are becoming increasingly active.
The authorities may view this far-right activism ambivalently, yet they are certainly unwilling to tolerate any competition, even from groups that are loyal to the regime. We see that both criminal and administrative prosecutions remain strongly directed at nationalists, particularly Russian nationalists.
This paper will examine what has changed in these prosecutions between 2022 and 2025 and how they relate with other areas of politicized law enforcement.