Court places Navalny's campaign manager in Volgograd under house arrest for posting an Internet meme that ‘desecrated’ Russia's ‘military glory’

A court in Volgograd has placed Alexey Navalny’s local campaign manager under house arrest. Prosecutors have charged Alexey Volkov with creating an image that supposedly desecrates the city’s “The Motherland Calls” monument, which commemorates the Battle of Stalingrad. Volkov says he’s been ordered to serve out his house arrest in St. Petersburg, where his residence is registered.

Volkov says Volgograd police recently gave him oral permission to leave the city and travel to Moscow, but investigators promised to detain him if he returned to Volgograd, after he left.

The controversial image in question features The Motherland Calls monument with a green face. Volkov published the image online in March to support Alexey Navalny, after an attacker sprayed green antiseptic in Navalny’s face, causing a chemical burn to one of his eyes. The image was deleted quickly, and community organizers apologized.

In late March, protesters picketed Navalny’s campaign headquarters in Volgograd, complaining about the Internet post. Pro-Kremlin tabloids also published articles criticizing Navalny's campaign because of the image.

Volkov is being charged with violating Russian Criminal Code Article 354.1, Section 3: desecrating the symbols of Russia’s military glory.