russia’s Courts Shifting to a “Conveyor Belt” System of Predetermined Verdicts

The supreme court of the rf refused to review the verdict of the yeisk city court in a bribery case, in which the defense pointed to signs that the court’s decision had been prepared using artificial intelligence technologies. Human rights activists view this case as a dangerous precedent: the judicial process could turn into a mechanical reproduction of prewritten templates, where the decision is known even before the parties have finished presenting their arguments.

The higher court judges effectively limited themselves to assessing the form of the document, stating that the text of the verdict was “clear and understandable”. They left the defense’s other arguments unanswered. As a result, in the russian judicial system, evidence and the parties’ positions cease to matter; conformity with the kremlin’s narratives becomes the main consideration.

If this practice becomes widespread, appeals against verdicts could turn into a mere formality. Already, russia reviews approximately 100,000–150,000 criminal verdicts annually, out of a total of 500,000–600,000 convicted individuals. This poses the greatest risks for political cases, the number of which is on the rise.

In the first quarter of 2026, russia’s courts handed down 107 verdicts in cases related to national security, convicting 110 people. In total, more than 4,000 people are facing criminal prosecution in cases related to the war against Ukraine, and the number of convictions has already exceeded 2,700. Against this background, the emergence of an “algorithmic” approach to justice further undermines the possibilities for effective defense in court.