Vitaly Kovin, the head of the Perm branch of the movement for the protection of the rights of voters "Voice", was fired from his job due to his status as a "foreign agent". He wrote about this on Facebook.
For the past seven years, Kovin has worked as a part-time teacher at the Perm State Pedagogical University. He writes that the formal reason for dismissal is a reduction in the teaching load and position. At the same time, Kovin emphasizes that the objects and hours that he kept did not go away – they were simply transferred to other teachers.
However, the real reason, according to Kovin, is the pressure that the leadership of the university was subjected to. He writes that the question of him was raised back in the spring at meetings of the rectors of Perm universities with the heads of the regional administration and the security forces. Galina Volodina, rector of the branch of the Higher School of Economics, expressed particular dissatisfaction. According to Kovin, everyone was “particularly stressed” by the fact that he teaches political science disciplines.
“Once again I will give an explanation of one of the participants in these meetings why I should not be at the university:“ If our youth, students, are taught by people who have the status of a foreign agent and other conditions that determine their activities, which are contrary to the state interests of our state of Russia, then, of course, I will defend the interests of my state!’”.
Kovin was recognized as a "foreign agent" in September 2021. The official reason is transfers received from abroad: for example, 69 rubles from a citizen of Ukraine. At the same time, according to Kovin , these transfers are not in his history of bank receipts. In April, a protocol was drawn up against Kovin under the article on discrediting the Russian army (Article 20.3.3. of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) for reposting a petition against the war.