Verzilov Pyotr Yurevich

Mass searches of artists and activists are likely connected to the criminal case against Pyotr Verzilov. He has been accused of treason. On March 12, 2024, a search was conducted at Pyotr Verzilov's mother's home in Moscow. A friend of the artist, Philippenzo, was taken from her apartment in Moscow. Contact with her has been lost. In Moscow, security forces took Pussy Riot member Olga Kuracheva for questioning after a search. A search was conducted at the studio of artist Anatoly Osmolovsky in Moscow, where several computers and other equipment were seized. After the search, Osmolovsky was taken for questioning. Investigators inquired about Pyotr Verzilov, the SlovoNovo Russian Culture Forum, which is held in Europe, and Osmolovsky's Baza Institute. Pussy Riot member Olga Pakhtusova also told friends that security forces had visited her in Moscow and then stopped responding. In St. Petersburg, a search was conducted at the home of members of the art group "Yav." "Party of the Dead" reports a search of member Kristina Bubentsova in St. Petersburg. She was taken in for questioning. Also in St. Petersburg, searches were conducted at the homes of artist Katrin Nenasheva and Natasha Chetveri. Artist Sasha Blot was also searched in St. Petersburg. A search was also conducted at the home of St. Petersburg artist and illustrator Vladlena Milkina, better known as "Vlada Vandal" and "Vlada MVPicture." FSB officers broke down her apartment door. St. Petersburg photographer Alexander Danilov was also questioned in connection with the Pyotr Verzilov case. FSB officers took Danilov straight from his workplace for questioning. Alexander signed a non-disclosure agreement. Artist Ilya Chistykh (known under the pseudonym Ilya Mozgi) from Yekaterinburg was taken in for questioning after a search. Pussy Riot member Margarita Konovalova (Rita Flores) was also searched. In Ulyanovsk, artist Ilya Kholtov was detained after a search. After questioning, he was released as a witness. In Nizhny Novgorod, security forces detained artists Artem Filatov and Andrey Olenev after searches. After questioning, they were released as witnesses in the case of Pyotr Verzilov. A search was conducted at the registered address of artist Denis Mustafin in Samara. His mother currently lives there, and her computer was seized. Searches were also conducted at the homes of student Elizaveta in Perm and artist and former head of the Ural branch of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts Kristina Gorlanova in Yekaterinburg. A search was also reported at the home of artist and architect Alexandra Kachko. She is also a witness in the case; two phones and a hard drive were seized from her. In Perm, a search was also conducted at the home of Nailya Allahverdiyeva, director of the Perm Museum of Contemporary Art (PERMM). On April 7, 2025, the Lefortovo Court in Moscow arrested Verzilov in absentia. He failed to notify the court of his dual citizenship due to his possession of a Canadian passport. On December 6, 2024, a criminal case was opened in absentia against Mediazona publisher Pyotr Verzilov in Moscow for public calls for terrorist activity. The criminal case was prompted by statements Verzilov made in an interview with Yuri Dud, in which, according to investigators, he justified the activities of the Ukrainian paramilitary nationalist group Azov. Earlier, in 2022, a criminal case was opened against Verzilov for fake news about the army. He was arrested in absentia and placed on the international wanted list. The former publisher of Mediazona was accused of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army motivated by political hatred. The case stemmed from two tweets and two Instagram posts describing the killings of civilians in Bucha, Ukraine. According to investigators, these publications contained a message "capable of unjustifiably escalating social tensions and harming the interests of the Russian Federation." Verzilov's involvement in the "military fake news" case became known in November 2022. In December, his mother's home in Moscow was searched. Earlier this year, Verzilov was charged in absentia and arrested in absentia. In January, the same Basmanny Court in Moscow refused to arrest Verzilov in absentia, but in connection with a separate criminal case—failure to notify of his dual (Canadian) citizenship. Pyotr Verzilov has been outside of Russia since 2020. On April 2, 2024, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow found Pyotr Verzil guilty and sentenced him in absentia to 8 years and 4 months in a general regime penal colony. The court also banned Verzil from administering websites for 3 years and 10 months. The sentence will run from the date of his extradition to the Russian Federation or from the date of his arrest in the Russian Federation. On August 26, 2024, the Criminal Division of the Moscow City Court upheld the sentence.