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In Berezniki, a city in the Urals, lawyer Artem Faizulin and his wife Irina were detained after a search, reports “Perm 36.6.”
The reasons for the search are still unknown. Irina managed to report that she has been detained for 48 hours. The pair had all their devices seized.
The third person detained is Elena Guseva, a local activist and athlete from Berezniki.
18:03 A criminal case for financing the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has been opened against Irina Faizulina and Elena Guseva, reports “Perm 36.6.” Both have been detained for 48 hours and taken to Perm, a major city in the Urals. A pre-trial detention measure is expected to be decided for them on 29 August.
Artem Faizulin was released and allowed to return home.
This news is being updated
The headline was changed following clarification regarding the grounds and subjects of the criminal case
- In March 2024, the Faizulins, Guseva and another activist, Irina Lyashchenko, already underwent searches. These were connected to a case against Sergei Ukhov, the creator of the “Perm 36.6” channel.
- Faizulin has repeatedly defended detainees at police stations and in court following protest actions.
- Elena Guseva was fined 40,000 roubles (about US$440) in 2022 for a picket with the placard “Peace for Ukraine! Freedom for Russia! Putin to the tribunal!” (Article 20.3.3, Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences). In 2023, she was sentenced to community service for failing to pay that fine (Article 20.25 of the Code of Administrative Offences). In February 2024, Guseva and Lyashchenko were detained for laying flowers in memory of Navalny.
- In 2014, Elena Guseva swam as part of an international team across the Bering Strait, covering the 134-kilometre distance from Chukotka to Alaska. A few years later, this achievement earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records.