Trofimov told that he received an invitation to the St. Petersburg court, even though he lives permanently in Finland and has not been to Russia for several years.
An activist from Turku Petr Trofimov has been charged in Russia under Section 20.2 of the country’s administrative law, says the Free Russians Global movement on Facebook (you will switch to another service). The article concerns violation of the order of the demonstration, and it is currently Russia’s main tool for prosecuting the participants and organizers of the demonstrations.
Trofimov confirmed to Novosti that he received an invitation to the St. Petersburg court, although he lives permanently in Finland and has not been to Russia for several years.
– My passport shows that I left (Russia) on November 8, 2019, and there is no entry stamp, says Trofimov.
Trofimov regularly organizes demonstrations and participates in anti-war demonstrations in Finland. According to the activist, they are trying to prosecute him for one of them.
– My lawyer will get to know the documents tomorrow and then I will know more. However, in Russia, proceeding to a judge’s hearing usually means being found guilty, the activist says.
One of the latest demonstrations organized by Trofimov was to leave “price tags” in supermarkets in Lappeenranta. The leaflets tell about the war in Ukraine and Russia’s repression of dissidents. Permission for the operation had been obtained from the police.