Volgograd activists demand to release Anastasia Shevchenko

In Volgograd, nine activists have held solo pickets demanding to release the Rostov activist Anastasia Shevchenko and all Russian political prisoners.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Anastasia Shevchenko was detained within a case of an undesirable organization after a search on January 21. On January 23, the Leninsky District Court of Rostov-on-Don sent her under the house arrest. The Amnesty International (AI) has declared her a prisoner of conscience.

The solo pickets in support of Ms Shevchenko were held in Volgograd on January 27, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Toma Grodnikova, an activist, held a poster reading: "I demand to release political activist Anastasia Shevchenko from under arrest. It is illegal!" According to the woman, she is very worried about Anastasia's fate and treats her persecution as unfair. Shevchenko is an activist of a Russian organization, whereas organizations of the same name registered in Great Britain have been recognized as undesirable in Russia, she said.

"She (Shevchenko) has three young children and an elderly mother to care about. For at least two months she won't be able to work and earn her living; in fact, she'll have nothing to nourish her kids with," the picketer told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 27, 2019 at 04:09 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.