Roman Tyurin, 55, a political prisoner from the village of Olgino in Russia’s Omsk region, died on February 17, 2025, but this became public only on January 15, 2026. An activist and author of the Telegram channel “Nastya and Prison” said the prison service returned her letter to him unopened with the note “the addressee is dead.” The form she received on January 14, 2026, was dated May 28, 2025.
A year before his death, Tyurin had been sentenced in four criminal cases to 6 years and 6 months in a penal colony for publishing and reposting anti-war materials on Odnoklassniki. The report was first published by the outlet Veter.
According to lawyer Pavel Vinokurov, Tyurin lived a secluded life, repaired computer equipment for local residents, and had sharply opposed the actions of the Russian authorities since the start of the full-scale war. The lawyer said his client likely had cancer: he had long complained about his health, breathing difficulties, and the lack of necessary medical care in pretrial detention and prison hospitals.
“As far as I know, he had cancer and had been complaining about his health for a long time. Apparently, that is what caused his death,” Vinokurov said.
The prosecution began in 2023 with administrative fines for “discrediting” the army and for “displaying Nazi symbols.” In 2024, four convictions followed on charges including “justifying terrorism,” spreading “fake news” about the army, repeated “discreditation,” “calls for activity against state security,” and repeated display of extremist symbols. The cases were based on posts criticizing the war and the Russian leadership, as well as a reposted video about alleged looting in Enerhodar.
Human rights defenders from Memorial described the case as politically motivated. Vinokurov said Tyurin did not admit guilt and maintained that he had only reposted material from other groups to a page visible to a limited audience.