On 28 June 2016, a court in Volgograd upheld a 10,000 rouble fine imposed on the mother of a teenager who took part in a rally in support of Aleksei Navalny on March 26. Caucasian Knot reports that on 26 March, approximately 30 people were detained of between 800-1,000 who took part in an anti-corruption rally in Volgograd. Most of those who took part were fined 10,000 immediately. The trials of a number of protesters were postponed. In the upshot, Aleksei Volkov, the organizer of the rally and coordinator of Navalny's election office, was fined 15,000 roubles. 'Court fines majority of Alexei Navalny's supporters detained in Volgograd,' Caucasian Knot, 26 March 2017

On 20 June 2017 the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of Bayev and Others against Russia that Russian legislation that bans promotion of homosexuality to minors encourages homophobia and discrimination. The Court found violations of Article 10 of the Convention (freedom of expression) and Article 14 (discrimination) in conjunction with Article 10 of the Convention. Three Russian gay rights activists had made the application to the European Court against the 2013 federal law that bans propaganda of homosexuality to minors. The three had been arrested in the years 2009-12 when they had protested against laws enacted in Russian regions which later became the model for the federal statute. As The Guardian reports:In a statement Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Research Deputy Director, said in reaction to the judgment: “This legislation has always been nothing short of homophobic. The law is blatantly discriminatory and violates the right to freedom of expression, and its introduction has contributed to a climate of homophobia and violence targeting LGBTI people in Russia. We strongly welcome today’s ruling, not least given the renewed urgency over investigating the reports of the terrifying campaign of mass abduction and torture of men perceived to be gay in Chechnya. We reiterate our call on the Russian authorities to repeal its homophobic legislation, end discriminatory practices and fully respect every person’s right to freedom of expression. They should also effectively investigate all instances of homophobic violence in Russia.”

On 13 June 2017 in St Petersburg human rights activist Dinar Idrisov was arrested as he sought to provide legal assistance to protesters and activists on trial following the protests against corruption held on 12 June. On 14 June Dinar Idrisov was sentenced under administrative law to 14 days in jail for “petty hooliganism”. Front Line Defenders issued a statement expressing its concern about the the administrative conviction of Dinar Idrisov, stating that Idrisov's conviction was "in reprisal for his defense of people detained during the demonstrations of 12 June 2016 and directly related to his human rights work in denouncing human rights violations in the Russian Federation." Front Line Defenders called for the Russian authorities to take three steps: "1.Immediately quash the sentence Dinar Idrisov and take all necessary measures to ensure his immediate and unconditional release and to guarantee his physical and psychological security and integrity; 2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into attack and arbitrary arrest of Dinar Idrisov, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in the Russian Federation are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions."

On 6 June the headquarters of the Church of Scientology in St. Petersburg was raided by the FSB, and five members were arrested: the head of the local Church Ivan Matsitsky, the Church's chief accountant Sahib Aliyev, the chief of the official relations department Anastasia Terentieva, and Church members Galina Shurinova and Konstantsia Yesaulkova. As The Moscow Times reported on 6 June 2017, the security services accuse the Church of extremism, inciting hatred, and operating an illegal business. Subsequently, RFE/RL reported that on 8 June 2017 a court in St. Petersburg remanded Ivan Matsitsky, the leader of the city's branch of the Church of Scientology, in detention for two months.  As RAPSI reported, on 7 June the court remanded in custody the two managers of the Church of Scientology of St. Petersburg, Anastasia Terentyeva and Sakhib Aliev; and on 8 June the court ordered the detention of executive director of the Church of Scientology Galina Shurinova, until August 5.'Russian court bans Moscow branch of the Church of Scientology,' The Guardian, 23 November 2017

On 2 June 2017 Valentina Cherevatenko, head of Women of the Don, a human rights NGO based in Novocherkassk, Rostov region, was formally charged with intentionally avoiding registration of her NGO as a “foreign agent.” Valentina Cherevatenko has become the first person to be prosecuted under criminal law in relation to the 'foreign agent' law, adopted by Russia in 2012. As RFE/RL reports, if convicted, Valentina Cherevatenko could face up to two years in prison. The media outlet cited Amnesty International as saying her case is "emblematic of the deeply repressive approach the Russian authorities are taking towards independent civil society organizations." Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty's deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, said her prosecution "sends a strong signal to all Russian NGOs that their staffs could face arbitrary charges and prison for simply accepting foreign funding for their important human rights work.” RFE/RL also reports that EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini’s office criticized the 'foreign agent' law for restricting civil society and impeding exercise of fundamental freedoms, while, "Cherevatenko’s outstanding work on human rights education, peace building, and humanitarian issues is well-known and widely appreciated." 

On 24 May 2017 a Moscow court sentenced Aleksandr Shpakov, who took part in an anti-corruption protest on 26 March 2017, to 18 months in prison after convicting him of attacking a police officer. As RFE/RL reports, Aleksandr Shpakov is the second person (after Yury Kuly who was sentenced on 18 May 2017 to 8 months in prison for allegedly assaulting a member of the National Guard at the same anti-corruption protest) to be sentenced in connection with one of the largest protests in Russia in years. At the anti-corruption protests in more than 100 Russian cities on 26 March 2017, initiated by Aleksei Navalny, police arrested more than 1,000 people in Moscow. Human rights activists are concerned that the authorities may instigate a number of criminal prosecutions along the lines of the prosecutions that followed the 2012 Bolotnaya Square demonstration.'Дело 26 марта. Александр Шпаков,' Mediazona, 24 May 2017

On 18 May 2017, Yury Kuly, an actor who had been detained at an anti-corruption rally in Moscow on 26 March 2017, was sent to prison for eight months. As The Moscow Times reports, Yury Kuly "is the first demonstrator to face the court after the protest, which saw more than 1,000 people detained by police in Moscow alone." The demonstration, which had been called by anti-corruption campaigner and opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, had not been given official permission. Kuly was charged with assaulting a member of Russia's National Guard, an offence for which the prosecutors had asked for a two-year prison term. According to the The Moscow Times, Kuly had pleaded guilty to the charges in the hope of receiving a suspended sentence. The lawyer representing Yury Kuly, Aleksei Lipster, is reported by The Moscow Times as saying that Kuly maintains he "had grabbed the officer's hand in a bid to protect an elderly man from the riot police."

On 11 May 2017 22-year-old blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky was given a three-and-a-half year suspended prison sentence by a court in Ekaterinburg for ‘inciting hatred’ and ‘offending believers’ feelings’ after filming himself playing Pokémon Go in a cathedral. As Amnesty International reported, Ruslan Sokolovsky had been arrested in September 2016 under charges of 'public actions expressing clear disrespect to society with the aim to insult religious feelings of believers committed in places for religious worship' and 'incitement of hatred' after publishing a video of himself playing Pokémon Go in a cathedral in Ekaterinburg. Ruslan Sokolovsky was convicted under Article 282 (incitement of hatred or enmity and humiliation of human dignity) and Article 148 (violation of the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of religion) of the Russian Criminal Code.

Yulia Gorbunova, Russia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “It’s a relief that Sokolovsky is not behind bars, but the fact that he was prosecuted and convicted remains a prime example of the Russian authorities using vague and broad anti-extremist laws to stifle free speech and promote self-censorship. Sokolovsky’s actions may have offended some or indeed many, but they present no public danger and criminal sanctions against him are groundless incursions on the right to free expression.”