Yevgeny Zateev and Valentin Khoroshenin of Vesna, as well as activist Polina Titova and Viktoria Arefyeva, reporter for Sota, have had their homes searched in Saint Petersburg, OVD-Info reports.
Arefyeva has had her cell phone and her sister’s laptop confiscated. She has then been detained for two days, her lawyer has told OVD-Info.
Vesna is a liberal democratic youth movement. It announced nationwide protests against mobilisation earlier. Zateev and Khoroshenin are already under investigation for “being a part of an non-profit organisation that encroaches upon rights of other individuals.” It is now reported that they have also been accused of “involving individuals into riotous unrest”. They are facing 5 to 10 years behind bars. The investigation will be complete no earlier than 11 December.
The activists believe that they are being persecuted for their anti-war stance. The organisation’s website was blocked, and many activists had their homes searched ahead of their 9 May anti-war rally.
