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Russia’s FSB reports detaining transgender man over charges of high treason for allegedly transferring money to Ukraine’s Armed Forces

At least three treason cases reported today

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reports to have detained a transgender man, “who had changed his gender from female to male”, from the Oryol region over charges of high treason, Russian state news agency TASS reports, citing the FSB public relations centre.

According to the report, the detainee is an LGBT movement activist, volunteer for Russian human rights project OVD-Info, and an administrator of an “anti-Russian information source”. He transferred money to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, the FSB claims.

A representative for OVD-Info told Novaya Gazeta Europe that they don’t know what person the FSB could be referring to.

The man is facing from 12 to 20 years behind bars or a life sentence. The law on life sentences for high treason was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 28 April.

UPDATE 4:55 PM

Two more high treason cases were reported later in the day: 

On 6 July, the FSB reported to have “neutralised” a Russian national, who had been allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack on Ukraine’s orders, during arrest. On 5 July, a Ukrainian-born Russian national was arrested at the airport of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of high treason for financing the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On 26 June, the FSB detained a resident of the Amur region for treason, claiming the man had transferred his own money to Ukraine’s military on over ten occasions. On 21 June, the FSB detained a resident of the Khabarovsk region, claiming the man had used cryptocurrencies to donate money to the Ukrainian military.