Prosecutors seek criminal case against human rights defender Anna Karetnikova

Prosecutors seek criminal case against human rights defender Anna Karetnikova

The prosecutor's office has initiated proceedings against Anna Karetnikova under articles on evading the duties of a “foreign agent” and participating in the activities of an “extremist” organization. According to the agency, Karetnikova distributes materials in the interests of a certain organization and helps it operate.

It is likely referring to Memorial — and this is the first known prosecution for cooperating with it.

“The only thing I can be proud of is that they are going to prosecute me in absentia precisely for belonging to a project that continues the work of Memorial, which received the Nobel Peace Prize. I was declared a foreign agent and will be prosecuted under two articles of the Criminal Code solely for our shared work collecting and disseminating information about repression in Putin's Russia and about today's political prisoners. Putin's authorities want people to see opponents of the current Russian regime as traitors, state criminals, and terrorists, but we will not let them do that,” says Karetnikova.

▶️ Who is Anna Karetnikova

Karetnikova has worked in human rights advocacy since the early 2000s. She was a member of the Memorial Human Rights Center and its Council. From 2008, Karetnikova served for eight years on Moscow's Public Monitoring Commission.

In 2016, she moved to the Moscow branch of the Federal Penitentiary Service as a lead analyst. In January 2023, Karetnikova was suspended from work, after which she left Russia for France.

Anna Karetnikova / Photo: Memorial

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