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A Russian teen has been placed under house arrest and could face up to seven years in prison amid the country's continuous crackdown on dissent after she reposted criticism of President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the Primorsky District Court, which is in Russia's northwestern city of Arkhangelsk, ruled that Olesya Krivtsova, 19, must remain under house arrest until her trial, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Krivtsova was arrested after she reportedly shared a post by activist Ilya Leshukov and published a story about the explosion of the Crimean bridge on Instagram.
Last week, Krivtsova was charged with "discrediting" the Russian army and justification of terrorism. Additionally, the court prohibited Krivtsova from using the internet and other communication means on December 28.
Russian authorities were on the lookout for the teen prior to her arrest. The representative for the state prosecution said that officers went to her place of residence in the village of Uemsky on Friday, but no one opened the door for them. She was placed on a wanted list afterward.
Krivtsova was arrested and detained for interrogation on Tuesday after unknown people, believed to be her acquaintances, bought tickets abroad in her name, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The teen was fined 30,000 rubles ($412) in May for discrediting the Russian military by putting up several anti-war pamphlets on Lenin Square in Arkhangelsk.
Krivtsova's arrest is one of the latest attempts by Moscow to silence Russian activists who oppose the war in Ukraine that began on February 24, 2022.
In August, Russian human rights activist Igor Kalyapin was attacked in a stabbing attempt by an individual who claimed to be a police officer, the Russian Human Rights Council said on Telegram.
Kalyapin, a founder of the nonprofit Committee Against Torture in Russia (now called Crew Against Torture), is a member of the Human Rights Council.
The council said that the activist was attacked in the Nizhny Novgorod region by an "unknown" person who tried to "cut his face and strangle him." But, the activist was able to escape and call the police.
In August, Russian authorities blocked the social media account of the Russian human rights group OVD-Info because of its media coverage of the war in Ukraine. The organization monitors and reports on political persecution in Russia.
In a separate incident, television journalist Marina Ovsyannikova was placed under house arrest in August for two months after she opposed the war in Ukraine on a live broadcast, drawing worldwide attention.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment.
About the writer
Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more