The prosecutor’s office has called for a criminal case to be opened against human rights defender Anna Karetinkova.

The investigation materials concerning Karetinkova have been handed over to investigators, reports the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office Telegram channel. The prosecutor’s office is proposing to prosecute her under charges of evading the obligations of a so-called “foreign agent” (part 2 of article 330.1 of the Criminal Code) and involvement in the activities of an “extremist” organisation (part 2 of article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).

According to the agency, Karetinkova published materials without the mandatory “foreign agent” label, even though she had previously faced administrative liability under article 19.34 of the Administrative Code. The agency also claims that she participates in a recognised “extremist” organisation, distributes materials on its behalf, and assists its operations. The prosecutor’s office does not specify which organisation they mean in their statement.

Karetinkova has been active in human rights work since the early 2000s. She was a member of the Human Rights Centre “Memorial” and served on its Council. From 2008, Karetinkova spent eight years in Moscow’s Public Monitoring Commission (ONK).

In 2016, she moved to the Moscow office of the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) as a lead analyst. In January 2023, Karetinkova was suspended from her job, after which she left Russia for France.