Nadine Geisler

In June 2025, Nadine Geisler, a 30-year-old activist and volunteer, was sentenced by a Russian military court to 22 years in prison on charges of “treason” and “aiding terrorism.” It became one of the longest political prison sentences given to a woman in modern Russia.

In 2022, she founded a volunteer collective called the Army of Beauties in her hometown of Belgorod. The group organised humanitarian support for Ukrainians living under occupation and for refugees fleeing the war – gathering food, medicine, supplies, and evacuation assistance for civilians trapped in impossible circumstances.

For this, she began receiving threats. Eventually, the pressure became so severe that Nadine fled to Georgia for a year. But after returning to Russia in 2024, she was arrested.

Authorities accused her over Instagram posts linked to a fake account allegedly calling for donations to the Ukrainian army – Nadine denied any involvement with the account. Before the trial the Russian secret service pressured Belgorod journalists not to cover it and many details of the trial remain unknown because it was closed to the public.

Inside prison, Nadine’s health had reportedly deteriorated significantly. Her lawyer described problems with blood pressure, vision, and her heart, alongside allegations that she was being denied adequate medical care.

She was prevented from walking in the prison yard (her only opportunity for fresh air) while books were confiscated and even basic personal belongings removed. Authorities also banned her parents from visiting.

“You can fabricate evidence. You can intimidate people and invent witnesses. You cannot destroy the truth tens of thousands of people received our help, and millions more witnessed it. I fought for every human life in every possible and impossible way. I allowed myself the luxury of having a personal opinion and expressing it publicly. I spoke the truth that they wanted to conceal. But I’m neither a criminal nor a murderer, and there’s no blood on my hands. Still, they demanded 27 years of prison for me. My goal isn’t to be free – it’s to remain a human being.”

Nadine Geisler.

Note: The artwork accompanying Nadine’s story was created by Alexandra Skochilenko — an artist, musician, and former political prisoner who herself became internationally known after replacing supermarket price tags with anti-war messages in Russia. In 2024, Alexandra was released during a high-profile prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States and now lives in exile, continuing her involvement in the Women Against War exhibition as an artist.