The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemns the decision by the Russian investigative authorities to charge Kaliningrad lawyer and human rights defender Maria Bontsler with “State treason”, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment.
The ICJ considers that Bontsler, who was previously charged with “confidential cooperation with a foreign State”, is being prosecuted for the exercise of her legitimate professional activities.
The ICJ calls on the Russian authorities to release Maria Bontsler immediately and drop all charges against her.
“The decision to charge Maria Bontsler with State treason, based on no new facts or circumstances, confirms the arbitrary nature of the prosecution. The authorities are retaliating against a lawyer for defending individuals in politically sensitive cases, and in doing so are sending a chilling message to the entire legal profession in Russia,” said Temur Shakirov, Director of the ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme.
According to her lawyer, Ilya Sidorov, the requalification of the charges is not based on any new facts or circumstances discovered during the investigation, but solely on an assessment carried out by the Kaliningrad FSB department of Telegram correspondence allegedly found on Bontsler’s phone. The charge of State treason thus rests entirely on the same material that underpinned the original, less grave charge.
The ICJ also expresses its grave concern at reports that Maria Bontsler was subjected to ill-treatment, in violation of Russia and international law, at the time of her arrest in order to obtain access to her mobile phone. According to the lawyer, officers twisted Bontsler’s arms behind her back while she was handcuffed and wrenched her fingers, causing severe physical pain.
The ICJ further deplores the conditions of Maria Bontsler’s detention. Bontsler, who is 65 years old and suffers from chronic hypertension and multiple gastrointestinal conditions including duodenal ulcers, was denied essential medication for approximately one month, suffering a hypertensive crisis during a court hearing before the medication was provided. Reports indicate that she was deliberately left outside in the exercise yard during heavy rain, that her chronic conditions have not been formally diagnosed by prison medical staff, and that when she was hospitalized in July 2025 she was constantly handcuffed to her hospital bed. The denial of adequate medical care and subjecting a detainee to such conditions may constitute inhuman or degrading treatment contrary to Articles 7 and 10 ICCPR and denial of the right to health protected under article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
“Particularly given Maria Bontsler’s severe chronic health conditions and the documented pattern of inadequate medical care and ill-treatment in detention, we have grave concerns regarding her health and well-being. It is inappropriate to keep Bontsler in pre-trial detention under such conditions, and all the more so in pursuit of charges that appear to be entirely without foundation,” Shakirov added.
The ICJ urges the Russian authorities to release Maria Bontsler immediately, drop the charges against her, conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the allegations of ill-treatment, and take measures to ensure that she and other lawyers in Russia can carry out their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance or reprisal.
Russia: Arbitrarily detained human rights lawyer Maria Bontsler must be released
