Russia puts Pussy Riot member on wanted list for criminals

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities have put a member of punk band Pussy Riot on a wanted list for criminal suspects as the Kremlin moves to stifle political dissent.

On Wednesday, Russian media outlet Mediazona discovered an entry for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova in the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted persons database. The entry, also reviewed by The Associated Press, said Tolokonnikova faces criminal charges, but she did not specify what the charges are.

Tolokonnikova became widely known for taking part in a 2012 Pussy Riot protest inside the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. She spent almost two years in prison.

Earlier this month, Russia’s top human rights lawyer, Pavel Chikov, said a criminal case had been opened against Tolokonnikova for offending the feelings of religious believers, which has become a criminal offense in Russia. after the 2012 Pussy Riot protest.

Tolokonnikova left Russia and is said to have lived in the United States. In 2021, the Russian government designated her a “foreign agent,” a label that brings additional government scrutiny and carries derogatory connotations that can discredit recipients.

Russian authorities applied the designation to independent media and opposition activists.