The Moscow branch of Open Russia, a human rights organization with ties to Mikhail Khodorkovsky, held a live call with the former oil executive and opposition politician on February 27. During the event, police officers entered Open Russia’s office and recorded the identifying information of all 60 audience members present.
In April, branch leader Tatyana Usmanova and board member Alexander Solovyov were cited for participating in an “undesirable organization” as a result of the call. Now, each of them has been fined 5,000 rubles (almost $80). Anyone fined twice under Russia’s “undesirable organizations” law in a single year can face criminal charges.
Open Russia noted that this was the first application of the law within Moscow.
More on Open Russia and Khodorkovsky
- The trials of Open Russia How the Russian government uses laws against ‘undesirable organizations’ to target activists from a single human rights group
- ‘I want to feel like I’m in Russia, and that’s how I feel’ Opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovksy talks Putin, Navalny, Prigozhin, and more five years after his release from prison