Russian court sentences man to hard labour in first-ever criminal conviction for Satanism

A court in the Russian city of Voronezh has sentenced a 24-year-old man to one year of hard labour in the country’s first criminal conviction for Satanism, independent news outlet Mediazona reported on Monday.

The case stemmed from posts the man made on the social media platform VK, featuring a selfie he took wearing a hat and hoodie with the pentagram symbol alongside a photograph of Adolf Hitler. Investigators deemed the pentagram to be a prohibited Satanic symbol.

The ruling is the first conviction of its kind since the fictitious “international Satanist movement” was declared an “extremist organisation” by the Russian Supreme Court in July 2025.

Previous prosecutions linked to the non-existent movement have involved only administrative offences, which carry a much lighter penalty. A court in Kurgan issued the first such penalty in August, when it fined a man 1000 rubles (€11) for posting a picture of Satan on VK.

According to the court’s ruling, the Voronezh resident worked as a welder at a concrete plant in Voronezh, and was orphaned at an early age. He testified in court that he had “witnessed the unlawful behaviour of immigrant citizens, after which he became interested in the Nazi movement, particularly its inspiration, Adolf Hitler. Later he began reading about the Satanic movement.”

Several of his flatmates and acquaintances from the college he attended were called as witnesses, and referred to the man in court as a “skinhead” and an “open Satanist.”

The Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw the “international Satanist movement” was taken by judge Oleg Nefedov, who previously applied the same designation to the non-existent “international LGBT movement” in November 2023. Nefedov also oversaw the decision to decriminalise the Taliban last year.