Murmansk student gets 15 years for running the Free Lapland Telegram channel. He tried to kill himself three times

A student from Murmansk got 15 years for running the “Free Lapland” Telegram channel. He tried to kill himself three times

On May 27, the Northern Fleet Military Court found 23-year-old student Rafael Mamedov guilty of treason and participation in a terrorist organization, writes OVD-Info, citing his support group.

Rafael Mamedov was a student at Murmansk Arctic University. In the spring of 2025, he was detained as the administrator of the “Free Lapland” Telegram channel. About 300 people were subscribed to the channel; it published facts from the region’s history and mythology, posts criticizing the authorities, and reflections on decolonization and the possible breakup of the Russian Federation. The channel was designated as terrorist.

Shortly before his detention, Mamedov made his first suicide attempt. He was admitted to a neuropsychiatric clinic, from which FSB officers took him away. After his detention, the young man tried to kill himself two more times, in pretrial detention and while being transferred.

Photo from the OVD-Info Telegram channel.

@meduzalive