Russian authorities have designated Pussy Riot‘s Nadezhda Tolokonnikova on Thursday (Dec. 30) as a “foreign agent.” Fellow activist and band member Nika Nikulshina has also been added to the list. The move by the Justice Ministry was part of efforts to stifle dissent in Russia. You can check out Tolokonnikova response to the news via Twitter posts below.
Dealing with the Russian government is not new for the rocker. Tolokonnikova took part in a protest inside of Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral in 2012, after which she spent almost two years in prison. The protest aimed at criticizing the Russian Orthodox Church’s close ties with President Vladimir Putin. Two other members of the band were also imprisoned after screaming, “Mother Mary, please drive Putin away.”
Anti-Kremlin satirist Viktor Shenderovich, Taisiya Bekbulatova (chief editor of the independent Holod news website) and art collector and former Kremlin advisor Marat Gelman have also been added to the list. “These people systematically distribute materials to an indefinite circle of persons, while receiving foreign funds,” the Justice Ministry’s statement said.
Individuals and entities labeled as “foreign agents” are required to submit regular financial reports and detailed lists of their income and spending. They must also display a disclaimer on all articles, social media posts and other publications that say, in part, “THIS MESSAGE (MATERIAL) IS CREATED AND (OR) DISTRIBUTED BY A FOREIGN MASS MEDIA PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF A FOREIGN AGENT…”
Tolokonnikova wrote on social media that she will not be marking anything as described above and will dispute the label in court. She concluded by saying, “Russia will be free.”
Russia has also labeled nearly every major independent news outlet, as well as many individual journalists, as “foreign agents.”
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