Putin’s imprisoned children: How Russia crushes young voices of dissent

A simple social media video, in which a teenager holds a sign reading “Freedom for political prisoners” and “I am against Putin,” led to a severe punishment.

Arseny Turbin, then 14 years old, was sentenced to five years in prison for his courageous act. His “crime”: bravery.

Now 17, Turbin is considered one of the youngest political prisoners in Russia. He was transferred to a penal colony in Perm, over 1,800 kilometers from his home, making it difficult for his mother, Irina Turbin, to visit him.

Despite the distance, he reports incidents of violence from other inmates and his deteriorating physical and mental condition, reflecting the systematic repression of the Russian regime.

DW’s documentary Politzek, supported by human rights activist Anna Karetnikova, exposes the brutality and humiliation prevailing in Russian pre-trial detention centers: a system of fear and isolation.

The Russian term “Politzek” means political prisoner and is also the title of the documentary Politzek: Voices That Defy the Kremlin, which premiered on November 27. The production is by DW in collaboration with France TV, RTBF, VRT, and SWR, directed by Manon Loiseau, Ekaterina Mamontova, and Sasha Kulaeva.

Filming took place covertly in Russia over the course of about a year, focusing on the personal stories of prisoners and their families’ desperate efforts for justice. One of the protagonists is artist Sasha Skotsilenko, sentenced to seven years in prison for placing anti-war posters in supermarkets.

The documentary also covers the case of Oleg Orlov, co-founder of the human rights organization Memorial and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who was imprisoned in 2024 for “defaming the Russian army.”

Despite the release of some dissidents during prisoner exchanges, many others remain isolated. According to the Russian NGO OVD-Info, there are currently 1,586 political prisoners in the country, including director Zhenya Berkovich and writer Svetlana Petrychuk.

The documentary also highlights the 2021 theater performance Finist, the Brave Falcon, which addresses the recruitment of Russian women by ISIS in Syria. Although it received two “Golden Masks,” Russia’s highest theater awards, the actresses were each sentenced to six years in prison for “justifying terrorism,” illustrating the Kremlin’s clear suppression of free expression.

Politzek does not only depict oppression but also solidarity: Russian dissidents abroad send letters and messages of support to bolster the morale of political prisoners and remind them—and the regime—that they are not forgotten. This support can be vital, as in the case of pianist Pavel Kusnir, who died in prison following a hunger strike but became a symbol of the anti-war movement.

Like Alexei Navalny, who died in a penal colony in 2024, these activists leave a lasting legacy—voices of hope in a country that punishes those who dare to challenge authority./TheGeopost.