Another one got detained but has never had any connection with Vesna. All of them are facing criminal proceedings under several articles of the Criminal Code, including “organisation of an extremist community" or “rehabilitation of nazism”

On June 6, Russian law enforcement authorities detained four former members of the Youth Democratic Movement Vesna, including Valentin Khoroshenin, Evgeny Zateev, Yan Ksenzhepolsky, and another ex-activist of Vesna who remains unknown to the public.

What is more, the police have also arrested Vasily Neustroev. He is a member of an election commission and he has never had any connection with Vesna.

Before being arrested and sent to Moscow for further investigation, the individuals' homes were searched.

Everyone who got detained yesterday is going to face criminal proceedings under several articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. They are being accused of “forming an extremist organization” or “rehabilitation of nazism”.

Vesna is a democratic movement which was founded in 2013 on the values of freedom, equality, and non-violence. Our movement has been fighting for the establishment of a democratic Russia where human rights and freedoms are the basic societal values.

Since February 24, 2022, the movement has been developing the nationwide anti-war campaign. After a while, the Russian authorities began political prosecution of Vesna's activists and the movement as a whole.

Since May 2022, eight activists have faced criminal proceedings under the article “the engagement in the NGO that infringes the rights of citizens”. Later, on October 14, Vesna was put on the list of unregistered foreign agent entities.

On October 11, 2022, the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of Russia included Vesna as an organisation in its list of extremists and terrorists. Lastly, on May 17, the court's decision on recognizing Youth Democratic Movement Vesna as an extremist organization was legally enforced.

It is clear to us that the regime is punishing Vesna for our activities. They have been persecuting our former members and everyone who has something to do with Vesna. The criminal case is an obvious and demonstrative repression which has only one function: to startle and force people to be silent about the war, political prosecutions and the numerous crimes of the authorities.

Yet, we will never give up our beliefs and will continue our fight towards a peaceful, democratic, prosperous country where the rights of citizens are respected. We refuse to comply with the court's decisions that were initially made by the criminal Putin's regime. The true enemies of the Russian people stay in Kremlin, not in Ukraine. And we will proceed with doing our work no matter what.

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