Stavropol activists leave Russia after law enforcers' threats

The spouses Darya Andreeva and Ilya Nikonorov from Georgievsk, fined under the article on discrediting the Russian Army, had to leave Russia due to law enforcers' pressure. The pressure was caused by the spouses' posting leaflets with pacifist statements, Darya Andreeva said.

According to the information posted on the website of the Georgievsk City Court, Darya Andreeva and Ilya Nikonorov became figurants of two administrative cases each – under Part 1, Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (known as KoAP) and part 1 of article 19.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (disobedience to a law enforcer's lawful command). For disobedience to law enforcers, they were arrested for four days. The rulings on discrediting the army were made on July 14, the rulings on disobedience to law enforcers – on June 10.

On June 10, law enforcers came to Andreeva's apartment to search it, Darya Andreeva said. "During the search, they threatened my husband with prison terms, physical violence and planting something on him," she has added.

After the search, the spouses were detained and taken to the police station, where they were interrogated. "They threatened my husband with a stun gun and beat him up, but not much, in order sooner to intimidate him… We were threatened with Article 20.3.3 of the KoAP, but it is does not assume arrest; therefore [law enforcers] prepared another protocol in advance, in which they wrote, among other things, that we had tried to escape during the search of the apartment," Ms Andreeva has explained.

After the end of their arrest, the spouses decided to leave Russia.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 3, 2022 at 11:49 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.