Blogger Markaryan sentenced to prison in Nazi rehabilitation case

A Moscow court found blogger Arsen Markaryan guilty of rehabilitating Nazism and sentenced him to 4.5 years in prison. The case was heard under a special regime.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in August 2025, blogger Arsen Markaryan of Armenian descent was detained and then arrested in Moscow. He was accused of insulting the memory of defenders of the Fatherland (Part 4 of Article 354.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison). The blogger denied guilt. On December 31, Markaryan's case was sent to court. Markaryan asked the court to consider his case under a special procedure due to his agreement with the charges.

The Moscow City Court has completed its consideration of the criminal case against Arsen Markaryan. The case was heard under a special procedure due to a full admission of guilt and agreement with the charges, the press service of the Moscow courts of general jurisdiction reported today.

The court found Markaryan guilty of rehabilitating Nazism and sentenced him to four years and six months in prison. He was also banned from website administration for four years.

Markaryan is a 30-year-old blogger and infopreneur from Samara, the developer of his own course, "Base." He claims to help men become stronger, more confident, and more energetic. He is known for his negative remarks about women (though his "Base" also includes a course for them). Specifically, in one of his speeches (a video posted on the Tigman Telegram channel on July 14, 2024), he called rape a "useful experience." "It's actually a useful experience to rape someone, to understand how human psychology works," the blogger stated in the video. Also in July 2024, a video appeared on social media in which Markaryan talks about sexual relations with 12- and 13-year-old girls. A recording from one of the blogger's online courses, in which he discusses relationships with minors, was published by user X under the handle @yolkzheltok. She claimed to have received the clip. The blogger also criticized the Russian authorities and the military operation.