Russian activist's picket in Yerevan attracts police attention

Activist Alexander Sherchenkov held a picket near the Russian embassy in Armenia in support of Mikhail Kulkov, convicted in Russia in the case of the terrorist group "Network"*. The action caused Yerevan police to ask questions of the picketer.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, activist from St. Petersburg Alexander Sherchenkov regularly holds pickets in front of the Russian embassy in Yerevan demanding the release of prisoners in Russia, whom he considers to be unjustly convicted. Thus, on July 26, he held a picket in support of Alexei Rozhkov, convicted in Yekaterinburg for attempting to set fire to a military registration and enlistment office.

On August 2, Alexander Sherchenkov held a solo picket near the Russian embassy in Yerevan in support of Mikhail Kulkov, convicted in the "Network" case, RusNews reports.

Police approached Sherchenkov. "They asked who he was supporting at the picket and how long he was going to stand. After which the activist continued the action," the report says.

The publication is illustrated with a video clip, which shows Sherchenkov with a poster "Freedom for Mikhail Kulkov" and a police officer in front of him. A woman is standing nearby, and passersby are walking past the picketer without stopping.

In February 2020, a court in Penza found seven people guilty of organizing and participating in the terrorist group "Network"*. They were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 6 to 18 years, RBC reported on February 10, 2020.

The charges were based on confessions given by the accused during the investigation. According to the accused, the confessions were the result of torture. Their relatives and human rights activists who saw them in the pre-trial detention center spoke about traces of torture. In court, all the defendants refused to plead guilty, the publication says.

According to the FSB and secret witnesses, the defendants intended to use explosions during the presidential elections and the 2018 World Cup to "stir up the masses to destabilize the political situation" and stage an armed rebellion, Kommersant reported on February 10, 2020.

Human rights activists consider the South Caucasus an unreliable refuge for Russians

Recall that at the end of February 2022, after the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the flow of people leaving Russia increased. One of the countries of relocation was Armenia, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Why did Russians go to Armenia?".

An increase in the number of Russian citizens leaving for Armenia was also recorded in September-October 2022, after the announcement of mobilization in Russia. In the first 10 months of 2022, 1.4 million people arrived in Armenia, and almost half of them were Russian citizens.

* the organization is recognized as terrorist and banned in Russia.

** the activities of the Meta company (which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.