Russia's Anti-Torture Committee ends fundraising campaign to support victims

On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Torture Victims, Russia's non-governmental Anti-Torture Committee concluded its annual campaign "26 rubles against torture", which aimed to raise 2.6 million rubles. The funds will be used for legal aid, medical and psychological support for victims of violence. During the campaign, the case of Polar-Owls prison colony resurfaced, where mathematician Azat Miftahov describes brutal torture.

Russia's non-governmental Anti-Torture Committee concluded on Friday, 26 June 2025, its annual campaign that ran from 22 to 26 June. Coinciding with the International Day in Support of Torture Victims, the action "26 rubles against torture" aimed to raise 2.6 million rubles, approximately 30,000 euros, to assist victims of violence.

Campaign purpose and organisation

Donors were asked to make a transfer of an amount containing the number 26, such as 260, 526 or 1026 rubles. According to the Committee, even such seemingly small sums of money can do much good: many victims require years to recover in terms of health, psychological trauma and their search for justice. However, assistance from lawyers, doctors and psychologists is inaccessible to most, as resources are lacking. The Committee accepts donations solely from Russian bank cards in rubles and confirms that the organisation operates entirely legally.

Polar-Owls prison colony case

In recent weeks, the case of the notorious Polar-Owls prison colony located in the settlement of Kharp has attracted the most attention-this is the same facility where opposition politician Alexei Navalny died. Moscow State University doctoral student and mathematician Azat Miftahov managed to relay information from prison about brutal torture methods to which he was subjected after being transferred there.

According to Miftahov, the prison administration demanded his obedience, including cleaning toilets in staff rooms. Refusal was met with violence: he was pushed to the floor, one worker sat on his chest, another on his legs and bound them with duct tape. To prevent him from resisting, he was punched in the stomach. He was then turned face down and a fellow prisoner began beating his soles with a wooden hammer. Miftahov describes how he screamed in pain, felt suffocation and lost consciousness. After that came threats of sexual violence. Later he was taken bound to another floor, where torture continued with the use of electric current.

Torture affects everyone

Independent political analysts note that torture in Russia is not merely a problem for political opponents; it can affect anyone. Experts cite the example of former federal transport minister Roman Starovoit: less than a year ago, he ended his life by suicide, realising that arrest was inevitable. According to specialists, he knew what awaited him.

The Anti-Torture Committee's web project "P." publishes reports of violence and inhumane treatment by security forces almost daily, and this is merely the tip of the iceberg, as most cases go unreported.