The activist who published a photo from the Wagner PMC cemetery left Russia after being threatened with criminal charges

Krasnodar activist and author of the telegram channel “Titushki in Krasnodar,” where photographs of graves from the Wagner PMC cemetery were published, Vitaly Votanovsky left Russia. The Protocol reports this.

“Left Russia. I’m starting to live again,” the man said.

Votanovsky runs the telegram channel “Titushki in Krasnodar,” which publishes information about security forces persecuting political activists, as well as the graves of Russian military personnel who died in Ukraine.

In March 2022, the activist’s home was searched, after which a report was drawn up against him to discredit the Russian army (Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code). At the end of July 2022, it became known that Votanovsky was being investigated under the article on disclosure of state secrets (Article 283 of the Criminal Code) due to the publication of photographs of the graves of Russian soldiers.

In October, a court fined a man five thousand rubles for reposting Bellingcat. Votanovsky was found guilty under the administrative article on cooperation with an “undesirable” organization (Article 20.33 of the Administrative Code). This report on the man was drawn up after his arrest in September 2022, when he and another activist were filming at a cemetery in Tikhoretsk, where Russian servicemen were allegedly buried.

In early February, a man said that he received death threats because of photographs of the cemetery.

15:41 Vitaly Votanovsky, who left Russia, told 7x7 that two criminal cases were opened against him: under the article on repeated discrediting of the army and on participation in the activities of an undesirable organization.

17:50 Information about the initiation of criminal cases against Vitaly Votanovsky has not been confirmed. OVD-Info contacted the activist: he said that the police officer only informed him of his intention to open cases. In connection with a possible case of participation in the activities of an undesirable organization, a pre-investigation check is already being carried out against him.

The news headline has been changed due to clarification of information about criminal cases.

• In September 2019, security forces also searched Votanovsky - then investigative actions took place among Navalny’s supporters in 39 cities. The activist is a former volunteer of the Krasnodar Navalny Headquarters.