After disappearance in Tbilisi, Russian activist arrested in Vladikavkaz

Rafail Shepelev, an activist, who lived in Georgia since 2021, has disappeared in Tbilisi, human rights defenders have reported. According to sources, he was arrested in Vladikavkaz.

Rafail, an activist of the "Artpodgotovka" (Artillery Preparation) Interregional Public Movement (IPM)*, disappeared on October 12, after leaving his house in Tbilisi, the human rights project "First Division" reports in its Telegram channel.

"His personal belongings remained in the house. According to his associates, he had lived in Georgia since September 2021 and had no intention of returning to Russia," the report says.

The next day, the Sovietsky District Court of Vladikavkaz found Shepelev guilty of petty hooliganism.

"He was placed under arrest; and after his release he was placed into the SIZO (pre-trial prison) on charges of a terrorist crime," the "First Division" project said in a report.

*On October 26, 2017, the Krasnoyarsk Regional Court recognized the Interregional Public Movement (IPM) "Artpodgotovka" (Artillery Preparation) as extremist and banned its activities in the territory of the Russian Federation.