Artists and activists were searched in six Russian cities – Kommersant

On the morning of March 12, searches of artists and actionists took place in several Russian cities. RBC reports that security forces conducted a search at the Nizhny Novgorod artist Artem Filatov. According to “Novaya Gazeta“, operational operations also took place in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ulyanovsk, Yekaterinburg and Samara.

One of the first to report a search in her apartment was artist Katrin Nenasheva from St. Petersburg. According to Mrs. Nenasheva, in the morning she and her friend Natasha Chetverio woke up to a loud knock on the door. Those standing behind the door, according to the artist, introduced themselves as FSB officers. Natasha Chetverio wrote in her Telegram channel that Katrin Nenasheva is a witness in the case of treason (Article 275 of the Criminal Code), which is connected with one of the founders of the Pussy Riot group, the former publisher of Mediazona (foreign agent) Pyotr Verzilov (foreign agent).

His wife Olesya told RBC that the searches took place at the Nizhny Novgorod artist Artem Filatov’s place. According to her, their equipment was confiscated, and after that Mr. Filatov was taken for questioning by the FSB. According to the artist’s wife, the basis for the search was a case dated March 4, 2024 from the Lefortovo Court. Ms. Filatova did not specify exactly what case she was talking about.

Art critic Ksenia Korobeynikova said that artist Andrei Olenev was detained together with Artem Filatov. She claims that the artists were interrogated as witnesses in the case of Pyotr Verzilov (foreign agent), who was accused of treason. Artem Filatov and Andrei Olenev did not know or were associated with him, so they were released, she added.

In Moscow, they came to search Pyotr Verzilov’s mother (foreign agent) Elena, Novaya Gazeta reports. Searches were also carried out at the homes of Pussy Riot members Rita Flores (Margarita Konovalova), Olga Kuracheva and Olga Pakhtusova. Another search took place in Samara at the place of registration of the artist Denis Mustafin. He told OVD-Info (foreign agent) that his mother now lives in this apartment, whose computer was confiscated.

In addition, searches were reported at the artist Ilya Mozgi’s place in Yekaterinburg. After the search, they took him in for questioning. In Ulyanovsk, after a search, the artist Yegor Kholtov was detained.

Pyotr Verzilov (foreign agent) left Russia in 2020 after a criminal case was opened against him for failure to notify of second citizenship (Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code; he has a Canadian passport). In October 2022, in an interview with Yuri Dud (foreign agent), Pyotr Verzilov (foreign agent) said that he had signed a contract with the armed forces of Ukraine and was participating in hostilities.

November 3, 2023 Basmanny Court of Moscow in absentia sentenced Petra Verzilova (foreign agent) to 8.5 years in prison on a criminal case of disseminating false information about the armed forces of the Russian Federation (clause “d”, part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). On March 11, 2024, the Moscow City Court overturned the absentee sentence of Pyotr Verzilov (foreign agent) due to procedural violations. The case was returned for a new trial.