Russians are being arrested for photographing soldiers’ graves. Some face treason charges.

Russian authorities have been making arrests of individuals caught photographing soldiers' graves in cemeteries, with some facing treason charges, according to Dmitry Treshchanin, an editor at the independent Russian news outlet Mediazona. Treshchanin reported that residents in various regions have been compelled to record video apologies following their detention.

He also revealed that scammers have shown interest in the data from these photographs, attempting to purchase unpublished databases from Mediazona. The photographs are allegedly used to deceive relatives, though Treshchanin did not provide further details on how this scheme operates. If investigators discover such photographs alongside correspondence with the person who ordered them, officials from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) could potentially bring treason charges against the individual, with the case portrayed as if it originated from Ukrainian intelligence services.

A criminal case was initiated last week against a resident of Yaroslavl, who allegedly systematically photographed and filmed graves of Russian servicemen since October 2024, sending the material to Ukrainian intelligence services. Mediazona has documented at least two treason cases on the Yaroslavl Regional Court's website in the past month.

In June, several residents of Tomsk region were detained in a similar case, though the exact number was not specified. Mediazona, in collaboration with BBC's Russian Service, has been tracking the casualties of Russians in the war. The outlet emphasizes that it had once requested volunteers to send photos of fresh graves at Russian cemeteries but now strongly discourages such actions.

Meduza maintains transparency about its use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom, and every draft undergoes review by a Meduza editor before publication.