Blogger Arsen Margaryan Detained in Moscow

On August 25, blogger Arsen Margaryan was detained in Moscow on charges of insulting the memory of defenders of the homeland. He was arrested a few days earlier while allegedly hiding in the trunk of a vehicle en route to Belarus.

Margaryan was initially apprehended on August 23 in Moscow. According to the Investigative Committee, he is suspected of publicly insulting the memory of defenders of the homeland in a video posted online, violating Article 354.1, Part 4 of the Criminal Code. This article carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine ranging from 2 million to 5 million rubles, or up to five years of compulsory labor.

Investigators revealed that Margaryan posted the offensive video no later than February 25, 2025, leading to his being placed on the wanted list. As a result, the blogger was detained in the Moscow region. On the same day, law enforcement reported that they had stopped a vehicle on the Mozhaisk Highway near the city of Kubinka, where the person accused of insulting the memory of defenders was found lying in the trunk. Reports from Mash and Shot indicate that the vehicle was headed for Belarus.

Later, blogger Alex Leslin, who is suspected of inciting rape under Article 33, Part 4, and Article 131, Part 1 of the Criminal Code, claimed that it was his vehicle, as he intended to help his 'friend' leave Russia.

During interrogation, Margaryan did not admit guilt. The investigation planned to submit a request to the Tagansky District Court in Moscow on August 25 for his detention.

30-year-old Arsen Margaryan is known mainly for his misogynistic statements. He has not lived in Russia for several years but had come to Moscow from Istanbul to promote his training sessions. He has a closed community of over 50,000 members, to whom he teaches, among other things, why 'a woman, even at the peak of her powers, will never reach the intellectual development of a man,' according to Russian media.

In July 2024, Ekaterina Mizulina, head of the 'Safe Internet League,' promised to contact the prosecutor's office after her subscribers complained about the blogger. Screenshots sent to the public figure indicated that Margaryan was discussing 'sexual relations' with minors and calling for 'the rape of women.'

In January 2025, the Moscow Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case against Margaryan based on calls for terrorism as per Article 205.2, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. Specifically, a video was discovered online in which the blogger, positing a hard stance on the accuracy of the ideology and practice of terrorism, made public calls for terrorist activities within the territory of the Russian Federation and against its citizens using unmanned aerial vehicles.

During a YouTube interview with Dmitry Larin recorded in April 2024, attacks using Ukrainian drones and donations to the Ukrainian armed forces were also discussed.