In St. Petersburg, the Soviet dissident Alexander Skobov was detained-due to the posts of explosion on the Crimean bridge

Here's what his friend Ekaterina Molotnova tells about this - everything happened in her apartment

On the night of April 3 in St. Petersburg, the Soviet dissident, journalist and participant in the “Free Russia Forum” Alexander Skobov was detained. At this time, the publicist was visiting his friends - human rights activist Julia Rybakov and his wife, biologist Ekaterina Molostova. Skobov is accused of “justification of terrorism” (Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), he faces up to seven years in prison. At first, some media connected the persecution of the journalist with his posts on the terrorist attack in Crocus City Hall, but it is already known that he is charged with a post on the explosion on the Crimean bridge in October 2022. In addition, at the end of March 2024, the Ministry of Justice brought Skobov to the register of “foreign agents”, but he stated that he would not obey the requirements of the authorities, to label his materials and draw up reports. It is also known that the administrative protocol on the participation in the work of an “unwanted” organization was drawn up at Skobov. The cooperative of independent journalists “Coast” found out the details of the detention of a publicist from his friend Ekaterina Molostova. With the kind permission of the Medusa publication, this text publishes this whole.

Alexander Skobov in the Soviet years

Skobova 66 years old. In the USSR, he was a political prisoner and defendant of the last case under an article on “anti -Soviet agitation”. For the first time he was arrested in 1978 - for the distribution of anti -Soviet leaflets. By the sentence, he was sent to a psychiatric hospital. He was released in 1981.

Four years later, he was again sent to a psychiatric hospital-already due to shares with the application of anti-Soviet inscriptions on the walls of buildings. In 1985, Skobov was released, and in 1988 he had a search of the case of anti-Soviet agitation (Article 70 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR). A year later, the case was closed in connection with the abolition of a criminal article.

After the collapse of the USSR, Skobov worked as a history teacher, during the Chechen war he was an active participant in the anti -war movement, and was in the Yabloko party (he was released in 2010). With the coming to power of Vladimir Putin, Skobov opposed the president, and with the beginning of a full -scale war in Ukraine, he called for helping the Ukrainian army. In March 2024, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation declared Skobov the “ino -agent”.

In an interview with Cold, the dissident said that he would not leave Russia, because it gives more weight to his words and he plans to “prove that not every person can plug the mouth.”

We have known each other for a very long time: I learned about Sasha from my parents, even when I was 12 years old. And we met when I was 18 [in the mid-1980s]-and since then we are friends. Therefore, it is completely normal that he was visiting with us. He arrived in the evening, because we all work in the afternoon. [It was too late,] and we decided that he would stay with us to spend the night.

We sat a little, then Julius Andreevich [Rybakov] went for a walk with dogs, and I had to sleep because I had to get up early. [Before going to bed] I turned on the film on the computer, and Sasha sat in another room and read something.

I heard some kind of noise and first decided that it was Yul who came with the dogs and they were talking to Sasha about something. But still ran out - but he [Skobov] was already on his knees with his arms wrapped in his hands in handcuffs among the group from the Investigative Committee. Julia Andreevich was not.

Sasha himself opened the door for them. But I do not understand why, when they called, he did not reach my room. Maybe I did not want the door to be broken - it is very noble! Gentleman.

There were clearly still employees on the street, because at some point one of the uncles in a balaclavka, with a completely closed face (there were two of them), said that the husband was already suitable, prepare a dog room. I explained that we have one dog very old, 16-year-old shepherd. Like, do not be afraid, they are kind. To which it was said that they have special equipment, if that, “neutralize” dogs.

Employees of the UK named the article - 205.2 ["Execution of terrorism"]. They said that he [scobes] is an alleged criminal, so a search is being carried out. I did not ask them for documents - this is my gross mistake. I was just very scared for Sasha: he is an old man, much older than me. I was a half asleep, and my main task at that time was to take him [from the corridor] in the kitchen so that he sat down.

After that, I recovered a little and asked for the paper [order order] - in it our address was registered as a place of Skobov’s stay. But there was nothing about the detention in the paper. It was printed, and the address was entered by hand - they probably followed him and entered the address along the way.

After that, they asked Skobov to issue a phone and a computer. He thought for a while, and, of course, without his approval, I was not eager to show where [his technique] lies. Then they threatened that they would defeat the apartment, and he told me to give them his phone and computer. I betrayed. Then they asked me to unlock my phone and ask my computer. I unlocked, they saw that there was an exclusively school, a schedule - I am a teacher. In general, they realized that for them this apparatus is not of interest.

When Julius Andreevich came and began to talk about human rights, they began to snap. But there was a very polite female investigator-she and Julius Andreevich spoke on the legislative framework. The only thing is that they did not let the order take a picture. Otherwise, everything was correct: they allowed to warm Skubov tea, but they ordered to dilute it with cold water - otherwise it would splash in them. They probably have such an instruction.

They allowed me to collect things and medicines for Skobov, but he refused to take them. Himself, hard. I don't know why. I think he has a rigid installation on a hunger strike or something else. But it will be seen-now the lawyer was contacting him now. I myself do not presume to predict. But Sasha acted [abandoning drugs] quite consciously.

After that, they took off their handcuffs and allowed him to change clothes, smoke. I saw how the searches are going on now - with defeated apartments. Therefore, I can’t say anything bad here: they did not do this. They behaved so correctly that they asked if they could go to the toilet. But still it was scary because of the balaclava. Since I am clearly older than them, I worked for such a teacher’s moment: I [automatically] turned to them to “you”. But in response to this there was no aggression! Aggression was only [in response] to the swing of rights. But for this [the security forces] are manuals since Soviet times.

They stayed with us for about two hours. Skobov was sitting in the kitchen for almost all this time - he was taken to the room only when he changed into trousers and jackets from home clothes. He reacted to everything ironly - he smiled hard. This is an ordinary Sashkin manner. He talked, as I would usually do in some tense situation: with irony, but very correctly.

I can honestly say: I was very scared. I had two tasks: do not fall into hysteria and mobilize. My parents were dissidents, and, of course, in childhood I saw searches. But from the KGB then they did not come like that - they were in civilian clothes. And people in balaclavas scare more.

Both my husband and I, and Skobov himself, of course, had fears that they would pursue him. He just [March 22] was declared a "ino -agent." And they called to this center -I don’t remember what it is precisely called-because of some “foreign” violations and cooperation with some foreign organization [“Forum of Free Russia” registered in Lithuania]. There were challenges, but he spoke and even wrote in social networks that he would not fundamentally be there. But you must admit - all this is not a reason not to accept an old friend!

We thought that surveillance could be organized behind him. We are not children - my husband was sitting too. And my parents were sitting, I spent almost all their lives in exile. I had a conversation with Sasha: I persuaded him to leave and stay in Constantinople [Istanbul], where he just went to meet with his children [son and daughter]. I asked him, convinced him, but he was not a child - he is older and much more experienced than me. He is a politician, and this is a completely different story.

"Shore"