A court in the southern Russian city of Belgorod has remanded NGO head Nadezhda Rossinskaya in pre-trial custody for two months, a group of her supporters announced on Friday.
Rossinskaya, who heads the NGO Army of Beauties that helps Ukrainian refugees in Belgorod, stands accused of making “public calls for action against state security” online. Prosecutors also say she posted calls for her followers to donate money to the Ukrainian Armed Forces online.
Nadezhda Rossinskaya. Photo: Group of her supporters
If convicted, Rossinskaya, who denies the charges, faces up to 6 years in prison, according to lawyer Alexey Pryanishnikov.
Rossinskaya left Russia for Georgia in 2023 after “receiving threats”. She was arrested on Thursday while aboard a train in Belgorod, though it is not clear how she entered the country. Rossinskaya’s mother, brother, and sister were also detained, though they were later released.
Rossinskaya has not admitted guilt and told the court that she was a “patriot”. “I returned home with a clear conscience and I ask the Russian Federation for protection,” she said in court, adding that she was considered an enemy of the state in Ukraine for working in the Russian occupied territories.
