Final answer:
The Russian katorga system often imprisoned political prisoners, including dissidents and intellectuals, and extended into the Soviet era with Stalin's purges targeting a wide range of supposed enemies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Other than criminals, the kinds of people who often ended up in the Russian katorga included political prisoners, such as political dissidents, intellectuals, and anyone who was seen as a threat to the Tsarist regime. The system was particularly harsh under Nicholas I, where even reading or discussing politics could result in exile to Siberia.
This harsh treatment extended into the Soviet era under Stalin's purges where many were imprisoned or executed, including kulaks, former tsarist officials, intellectuals, ethnics minorities, and various other groups.