In 2025, Russia Issued a Record Number of Life Sentences

In 2025, Russian courts recorded a historic high in the number of life sentences issued over the past decades. From January to November of this year, 100 individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment under the relevant articles.

Representatives of human rights organizations note that the increase in the number of such sentences is linked to the expansion of the list of crimes for which such strict punishment can be imposed.

This figure has become the highest in two decades. Previously, the largest number of individuals sentenced to life imprisonment was recorded in 2005 and 2012, when 84 life sentences were handed down. Since the introduction of this punishment in 2005, a total of 1,316 life sentences have been imposed in Russia.

In recent years, changes in legislation have occurred, resulting in a significant increase in the list of crimes for which a life sentence can be imposed. It now includes acts such as treason, organizing a terrorist act, and involving minors in subversive activities.