A second criminal case was opened for non-compliance with the law on “foreign agents”
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In relation to the coordinator of the “Voice” movement in Pskov, Vladimir Zhilinsky, a criminal case was opened for evasion of duties under the law on “foreign agents”. This, in particular, was reported on Thursday by the human rights project “Network Freedoms”.
It is noted that this is the second such case in Russia. Earlier, similar charges were brought in absentia against Tver activist Artyom Vazhenkov, who was later declared wanted. Zhilinsky faces a fine of up to 300,000 rubles or imprisonment for up to two years.
“Thanks to the Russian weaklings… They can’t put me down, but I really like how desperately and diligently they write my name in history,” said Zhilinsky in a comment on the Sever.Realii website. The activist also noted that he was “impressed” that he became to the second accused in the criminal case for failure to fulfill the requirements of the law on “foreign agents”.
Vladimir Zhilinsky is a well-known human rights defender in the Pskov region. Since 2010, he participated in protest rallies, was an election observer. In 2018, he became the coordinator of the “Voice” movement in the Pskov region and opened the creative space “SHAG” in the city. Famous politicians, artists and writers gave lectures there. Among the guests was Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov. In 2019, Zhylinsky created the “Detainee Support Group”, which included lawyers and journalists. The organization helped political prisoners and detainees at protests.
The Ministry of Justice declared Zhilinsky a “foreign agent” in September 2021, along with 19 more participants and coordinators of “The Voice”, including Vazhenkov. In response, the human rights defender hung a sheet of paper with the text marking the content of “foreign agents” on the door of the regional office of the Ministry of Justice. In December of the same year, Zhilinsky left Russia for Georgia with his family. He was repeatedly fined under administrative articles related to the legislation on “foreign agents”, notes “OVD-Info”.
After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the activist is helping Ukrainian refugees.
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