Anton Chechin

Anton Chechin is a Russian activist who supported Alexei Navalny's party, participated in protests, monitored elections, and won a case against the Russian Federation at the European Court of Human Rights. He has a Georgian wife. In Georgia, he was actively involved in protests, assisted Ukrainians, and volunteered with an NGO.

He was arrested on 3 December 2024, in the morning before going to work, allegedly with narcotics. Earlier, on 18 November 2024, he had been detained during a protest at Tbilisi State University. He stated that he was threatened and told to stop participating in demonstrations. He links the 3 December arrest and the planting of drugs directly to this earlier threat.

Chechin has a cystic-tissue brain tumor, which has grown in size. According to a neurosurgeon, he requires urgent surgery. Nevertheless, the court did not consider this sufficient grounds to release him from pre-trial detention. The judge stated that he could receive medical care while in prison.

In drug-related cases involving detained demonstrators, the verdicts issued for Russian citizens differ from those handed down to Georgian nationals. Georgian nationals Nika Katsia, Tedo Abramovi, and Giorgi Akhobadze were acquitted of the same charges, while Chechin and Zinovkina, both Russian citizens, were sentenced to 8 years and 6 months.