Federal agents search the home of a Volokolamsk businessman who's helped organize popular protests against an overflowing local landfill

Federal Security Service agents showed up at Artem Lyubimov’s home on Friday with a warrant to search the premises. The Volokolamsk businessman says the raid is retaliation for his role as one of the leaders of a protest movement against the “Yadrovo” landfill, which locals say is responsible for an “ecological catastrophe.” A day earlier, officials charged Lyubimov with failing to report his dual citizenship to the Russian authorities. He says the FSB fabricated documents indicating that he has U.S. citizenship. If convicted, Lyubimov faces a fine of up to 200,000 rubles (almost $3,000) or up to 400 hours of community service.

On April 3, Lyubimov was jailed for two weeks after he supposedly resisted police orders. After the arrest, the authorities also raided Lyubimov’s business partners. That same month, state officials detained and started harassing at least two other Volokolamsk entrepreneurs who helped facilitate the demonstrations against the trash dump.