Vitaliy Belitsky (Виталий Александрович Белицкий), the Russian judge who handed down the ruling against Institute of Mass Information (IMI) expert Iryna Zemlyana, has repeatedly tried politically motivated cases against journalists and civil society representatives, IMI found.
Belitsky (born 1980) made his career during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, as domestic crackdowns intensified in the country. He was appointed judge at the Moscow City Court by decree of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on 4 January 2023. Before that, he had worked in the Koptevsky District Court of Moscow.
Belitsky systematically takes on cases that international organisations and human rights activists consider politically motivated.
Namely, he has tried many cases under the Russian Criminal Code articles that are often used for political persecution, such as “high treason,” “promoting fakes about the Russian army,” and other politically sensitive charges. He has passed sentences as well as decisions on measures of restraint, including detentions.
Belitsky has also ruled on cases against politicians and scholars.
High-profile cases include:
- Vladimir Kara-Murza: on 17 April 2023, Belitsky sentenced the Russian opposition politician and media personality to 25 years in a high security prison on charges of promoting “fake news” about the Russian troops, involvement in an “undesirable organisation,” and high treason. This is one of the highest-profile political cases in Russia, internationally recognised as persecution.
- Valeriy Golubkin: in June 2023, Belitsky sentenced the scholar to 12 years in a high security colony for “high treason.” The charges stemmed from his involvement in an international project to create a hypersonic passenger aircraft. The investigation claimed that Golubkin had been passing reports containing state secrets to his colleagues in the Netherlands. Golubkin himself pleaded not guilty and said the material he had been sharing passed checks before being sent and contained no state secrets.
- Grigoriy Melkonianets: the judge also ruled to prolong the arrest of the Golos observers movement’s co-chief on charges of overseeing the activities of an “undesirable” non-governmental organisation.
Overall, IMI found the judge to have been involved in sentences as well as detention verdicts in cases related to political persecution in Russia.
Previously
In March 2026, the Moscow City Court (Russia) sentenced the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) media expert Iryna Zemlyana to 13 years in a low-security prison in absentia. Zemlyana was found guilty of attacking a representative of a foreign state with the aim of complicating international relations; inciting hatred and enmity through violent means; and promoting “fakes” about the Russian army.
Iryna Zemlyana said that the ruling was politically motivated and part of a pressure campaign against her; according to her, the charges are entirely fabricated.
In November 2022, Russia declared Iryna Zemlyana a wanted person, opening a criminal case against her for allegedly attacking the Russian ambassador Sergei Andreev in Warsaw (Poland). Iryna notes that she did not commit the attack.
A group of protesters doused the ambassador with a red liquid as he was trying to lay flowers at the Mausoleum of Soviet Soldiers on 9 May 2022. Many protesters had red paint stains on their clothes to symbolise blood. They chanted such words as “fascists,” “ruscists,” and “murderers.”
Iryna Zemlyana, who participated in the campaign, had to leave Warsaw following a series of death threats.
Poland investigated death threats to Iryna Zemlyana by Russians and others. In June 2023, Polish prosecutors paused the investigation into the Russian ambassador in Warsaw, Sergei Andreev, being doused with paint on 9 May 2022.
The National Police of Ukraine opened a case following Zemlyana’s statement after the incident with the Russian ambassador in Warsaw. Later, the Shevchenkiv District Police Department in Kyiv closed the criminal case over death and doxxing threats to the IMI expert Iryna Zemlyana. However, the court ordered to resume the investigation.
The Interpol is yet to decide whether to declare her an international wanted person at Russia’s request or not.
In February 2024, Iryna Zemlyana, an expert at the Institute of Mass Information, was added to the list of “terrorists and extremists” maintained by the Russian Federal Service for Financial Monitoring (Rosfinmonitoring).
On 4 March 2024, the Basmannyi District Court of Moscow (Russia) arrested Iryna Zemlyana in absentia on these frivolous charges. She said the decision was based on a false accusation and the case regarding the spring 2022 incident when the Russian ambassador in Poland was “doused in paint” was fabricated.
MP Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, asked the National Police, in their capacity as an Interpol representative, to protect Iryna Zemlyana from persecution by Russia. The National Police promised to see to it that Russia does not succeed in persecuting Iryna Zemlyana through the Interpol.
