Russian Court Jails Rights Lawyer Maria Bontsler for 12 Years on Treason Charge
A court in Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad has sentenced human rights lawyer Maria Bontsler to 12 years in prison on treason charges, after prosecutors accused her of passing sensitive information to Ukraine. The sentence, handed down on Thursday, November 12, is one of the harshest imposed on a defense lawyer in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.
Bontsler, 66, was also handed an additional year of restrictions on her activities. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence.
A closed-door trial
The trial was conducted behind closed doors, and Bontsler and her lawyers were barred from attending, according to the independent legal project Slovo Zashchite. A court statement posted on Telegram did not identify Bontsler by name.
Prosecutors said she had been detained by the FSB security service on allegations that, from 2024, she passed information about security officers in Kaliningrad to Ukraine. They also alleged she provided Kyiv with information about criminal cases in the exclave that were of interest to Ukraine.
Bontsler’s lawyers said none of the information cited by prosecutors was secret.
Bontsler was detained in May 2025 and initially charged with “confidential cooperation with a foreign state,” an offense punishable by up to eight years in prison. In March 2026, investigators reclassified the case as treason, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years.
One of Kaliningrad’s few political-case lawyers
Bontsler is one of the few lawyers in Kaliningrad who has defended people in politically motivated cases, including critics of the war in Ukraine. Kaliningrad is a Russian territory on the Baltic Sea, sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, and home to Russia’s Baltic Fleet.
The International Commission of Jurists, which has called for her release, said the treason charge was not based on any new evidence. “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 group said. “The ICJ calls on the Russian authorities to release Maria Bontsler immediately and drop all charges against her.”
Why this matters
The case fits a wider pattern in Russia, where treason and espionage prosecutions have multiplied since 2022 and are increasingly aimed at people whose work touches on the war in Ukraine — including journalists, scientists, activists and now defense lawyers. The closed-door proceedings and the reclassification of the charge from an eight-year offense to one carrying up to 20 years have drawn criticism from international legal groups, which say the prosecution punishes a lawyer for doing her job.
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The verdict also lands as the war continues to shape Russia’s domestic crackdown. Leaked Russian data recently showed the scale of foreign fighters killed in the war in Ukraine, while diplomats work toward the largest prisoner exchange of the war. At the same time, the UN Security Council has extended its Yemen sanctions, a reminder that the conflicts reshaping global security are being fought on several fronts at once.
What happens next
Bontsler’s defense team has not yet said publicly whether it will appeal the sentence. International legal groups are expected to keep pressing Moscow for her release, and the case is likely to feature in future reports on the treatment of lawyers and political defendants in Russia. For now, the 66-year-old lawyer faces more than a decade behind bars for a conviction her supporters say was built on information that was never secret.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Maria Bontsler?
Maria Bontsler, 66, is a human rights lawyer in Kaliningrad, Russia. She is one of the few lawyers in the exclave who has defended people in politically motivated cases, including critics of the war in Ukraine.
What was Maria Bontsler convicted of?
A court in Kaliningrad convicted her of treason, accepting prosecutors’ claim that she passed information about security officers and criminal cases to Ukraine from 2024. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison plus one year of restrictions on her activities.
Why was the trial held behind closed doors?
The trial was conducted behind closed doors, and Bontsler and her lawyers were barred from attending, according to the independent legal project Slovo Zashchite. Closed treason trials are common in Russia, where courts routinely cite state secrets.
What has the International Commission of Jurists said?
The International Commission of Jurists has called for Bontsler’s immediate release, saying the treason charge was not based on any new evidence and that she is being prosecuted for the exercise of her legitimate professional activities as a lawyer.
Sources: Reuters; AnewZ; International Commission of Jurists.
