A criminal case was opened against Nizhny Novgorod “Citizens of the USSR” for an extremist organization

In May, in the Nizhny Novgorod region, security forces conducted searches in connection with the creation of a cell of the Citizens of the USSR movement. The SOVA Information and Analytical Centerwrites about this.

A case was opened against three people under the article on organizing an extremist organization (Part 2 of Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code).

According to security officials, searches took place on May 31 at the leaders and active participants of Citizens of the USSR, as well as at 20 offices of the organization in several cities in the region, including Arzamas, Ardatov, Bor and Dzerzhinsk.

The following were confiscated from citizens: hard drives, system units, tablets, laptops, flash drives, memory cards, modems, phones, sim cards, stamps, flags, calendars, stickers, badges and other printed products with USSR symbols, as well as 300 thousand rubles and folders with documents.

The suspects are charged with posting materials in open sources containing calls for joining a banned organization, renouncing citizenship of the Russian Federation and “other illegal actions.” It is known that as a preventive measure they were given a written undertaking not to leave.

• “Citizens of the USSR” is a movement uniting fighters for the restoration of the rights of citizens of the USSR. Followers of the organization believe that the Union continues to exist, and the Russian Federation is a “trading company.” Some of the participants in “Citizens of the USSR” refuse any ties with Russia as a state, for example, they do not sign any documents and notify local authorities of the need to vacate their posts.
• In August 2022, a court in Samara recognized the Citizens of the USSR movement as an extremist organization. Previously, the list of extremist organizations included the “ People's Council of Citizens of the RSFSR USSR Arkhangelsk Region ” and the “ Union of Slavic Forces of Russia ,” whose followers also denied the fact of the collapse of the USSR.