St. Petersburg court arrests young woman over anti-war video

Kalinisky court in St. Petersburg has put Viktoriya Petrova, 28, under arrest for ‘spreading fake news about the Russian army’ until 30 June, according to Setevye Svobody. 

Petrova is accused of posting a video statement against the Ukraine War on VK. The investigators insist that Petrova should be sent into a pre-trial detention centre “to prevent her from committing more crimes.” 

Anastasiya Pilipenko, Petrova’s defence attorney, asked the court to put her client on probation instead of sending her to a pre-trial detention centre. One of Petrova’s relatives declared he was ready to provide his apartment for home detention. 

Petrova was detained on 6 May, according to Fontanka. The police alongside SWAT soldiers came into her apartment and confiscated her mobile phones, laptops and pacifist posters. 

A criminal procedure against Petrova was initiated on 1 April over a video posted on 23 March. 

Olga Smirnova, an anti-war activist, was sent to a pre-trial detention centre for ‘spreading fake news about the Russian army’ earlier today. 

Another activist, Yevgeny Kochegin, was arrested in absentia in Volgograd. Kochegin left Russia earlier. 

Five members of The Peaceful Resistance had their homes searched by the law enforcers on 5 May. The people in question are Olga Smirnova, Asan Mumji, Tatyana Sichkaryova. Vlad Shipitsin and Ilya Tkachenko. Smirnova was escorted for interrogation after she had had her apartment searched. In her absence, the word ‘traitor’ was written on the apartment door with red colour.