7 November 2022
Source: Facebook
On 3 November 2022 well-known democracy and human rights activist Mikhail Kriger was detained in Moscow. On 5 November Moscow’s Cheremushkinsky district court remanded Kriger in custody for two months.
The security forces arranged Mikhail’s arrest as though they were dealing with a dangerous armed criminal, despite the ‘basis’ for this being a post shared on Facebook in 2020. It discussed the 21 October 2018 suicide-bombing of the Arkhangelsk FSB office by anarchist Mikhail Zhlobitsky.
Since the late 1980s Mikhail Kriger has consistently and actively participated in the democratic and human rights movement. He has acted publicly and nonviolently, speaking out against human rights violations, in support of political prisoners, against war. Mikhail is our comrade, a member of Moscow region Memorial.
We are sure that the accusation against Mikhail Kriger of justifying terrorism because of a two-year-old post is just a pretext for his prosecution. The reason is his honest and fearless public position, first and foremost antiwar.
It should be noted that over the years nearly fifty people have been victims of prosecution for expressing opinions about Zhlobitsky’s actions. This repressive campaign has been used by the FSB to suppress an important public discussion about the dangerous and harmful role of this security service in modern Russia and about the criminal methods that often repeat practices of 70-90 years ago.
The pre-trial detention of Mikhail Kriger is not justified by anything; it is an attempt at putting unlawful pressure on him. Another goal is to intimidate everyone who speaks out against the crimes of the modern Russian state.
We will provide Mikhail Kriger with all possible assistance and support, and we demand his release!
Translated by Alyssa RIder
