Photo: Sota
Two ex-coordinators of the headquarters of Alexei Navalny in Arkhangelsk, Yegor Butakov and Elizaveta Bychkova, were sentenced to a year of restriction of freedom, found guilty under Part 3 of Art. 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (participation in the activities of an NPO that infringes on the rights of citizens). This is reported by a Sota correspondent.
Both Butakov and Bychkova were forbidden to leave the city and change their place of residence, and they were also obliged to report to the inspectorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service twice a month. Butakova was credited every day under the prohibition of certain actions, appointed as a measure of restraint, as two days of restriction of freedom.
Accordingto Mediazona, during the meeting, Butakov addressed people and urged them not to make “mistakes” between them and Lisa, not to engage in “extremist activities” in Russia. Bychkova said she wants to start a family and raise children. After the trial, the ex-coordinators declined to comment.
Butakov was detained in December 2021. Before that, in June 2021, the Moscow City Court recognized the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), the headquarters of Alexei Navalny and the Foundation for the Protection of Citizens' Rights as "extremist organizations." Their activities have become officially banned in Russia, and members and supporters of organizations, according to the new law, will not be able to be elected to legislative bodies at all levels for several years. Prior to this, FBK was recognized as an organization playing the role of a “foreign agent”. In October 2022, Navalny's team announced the restart of the headquarters network for "fighting Putin, war and mobilization." The Russians were offered to fill out an application and become volunteers, but at the same time refuse to publicly report on their activities.
Since the recognition of Navalny's headquarters as an "extremist organization", criminal cases have been opened against the former heads of regional branches and searches have been conducted at their places of residence. This year, after the start of the war in Ukraine, criminal cases were initiated against them under articles on “discrediting” the Russian army.