Arkhangelsk resident holds a picket to support the ex-coordinators of Navalny's headquarters*
Activist Andrei Kichev from Arkhangelsk held a picket in defense of activists who are being persecuted for their political activities. He supported the ex-coordinators of Alexei Navalny’s headquarters* and Egor Butakov, the former head of the Arkhangelsk headquarters*. On January 25, 2022, Butakov entered the list of extremists and terrorists.
“I held the picket for the citizens of our country to see what is happening in Russia: repressing dissidents, people with an active political and civic position, recognizing corruption fighters as terrorists,” Kichev explained.
During the picket, the police drew up a protocol on Kichev under the article on violating the high-alert mode due to coronavirus (Part 2 of Article 20.6.1 of the Administrative Code). They also took away a poster saying, "Corruption fighters are not terrorists" to place it in the case file.
On January 25, 2022, Alexei Navalny entered the list of terrorists and extremists. His associates Lyubov Sobol, Georgy Alburov, ex-coordinator of Navalny's headquarters* in Ufa Lilia Chanysheva and other activists were included in the register. Egor Butakov, the former chief of the headquarters* in Arkhangelsk Oblast, is among them.
In December 2021, law enforcement officers massively detained the former heads of Navalny's headquarters*, including Egor Butakov, in different regions. A criminal case for organizing an association infringing upon the liberties and rights of individuals (Article 239 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was opened against him. The activist was imposed a restraining order.