Activist Dmitry Skurikhin was transferred from pre-trial detention center to house arrest

The court in the Leningrad region did not extend the arrest of businessman Dmitry Skurikhin in the case of repeated “discrediting” of the Russian army and transferred him to house arrest. This was reported by the Network Freedom project.

Dmitry Skurikhin has been in pre-trial detention center since February 26. On the anniversary of the invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine, on February 24, he knelt down with a placard saying “Sorry Ukraine” in his shop in the village of Russko-Vysotskoe. The next day he was detained by the police. A second criminal case was opened against Skurikhin under the article on repeated “discrediting” of the army.

In March, the human rights project “Memorial” recognized the activist as a political prisoner. “The criminal prosecution of Skurikhin grossly violates his right to freedom of expression, assessment and criticism of the government’s actions. It is aimed at intimidating the opponents of the war with Ukraine in Russia,” the “Memorial” message said.

Skurikhin regularly places inscriptions criticizing the actions of the Russian authorities at his store. In May last year, he was fined under the administrative article on discrediting the army, and then the first criminal case was opened. The reason for this was the poster “You are going to hell with your burial”, which the activist also placed in his shop.