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According to official data provided by the government of the Russian Federation, one in ten people placed in a pre-trial detention center has a positive HIV status.

By boriskov · Published on August 23, 2025

According to information presented in the government decree on the development of the penal system, which was published on the legal information portal and reported by RBC, up to 10% of individuals entering Russian pre-trial detention centers (SIZOs) are infected with HIV.

The document states that among those admitted to pre-trial detention centers, 8 to 10% are infected with HIV, 4 to 5% have mental disorders, 8 to 9% suffer from alcohol or drug addiction, and 1–1.5% have pulmonary tuberculosis.

Authorities explain these figures by noting that all prisoners undergo mandatory medical examinations, unlike the general population, particularly its socially vulnerable groups, where diagnosis is not one hundred percent.

As of January 1, 2025, over 41,500 HIV-infected individuals, more than 7,400 tuberculosis patients, and over 2,700 people with co-infection of HIV and tuberculosis were recorded in Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) institutions.

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