On March 10, Varvara Luch, an activist from Volzhsky in the Volgograd region, reported that “people in civilian clothes” had come to work for her. During a conversation with her and her superiors, the security forces handed the girl a warning about the “inadmissibility of carrying out extremist activities.” After that, the management asked her to resign.
The source told ASTRA that the document had the FSB coat of arms, but it did not contain the employee’s name and signature. At the same time, the “plainclothes men” did not introduce themselves to the girl, but only showed documents to her superiors.
The interlocutor of ASTRA said that during the conversation, the security forces mentioned the telegram channel hosted by Varvara, and the reason for the visit was the organization of the upcoming rally.
“They said that there would be provocations at the rally, someone would be stabbed, drones would arrive. It is suspicious that warning systems are being checked yesterday and today in the Metallurgov area, where the rally is planned. The protesters may be dispersed by sirens,” an ASTRA source said.
They threatened Varvara’s superiors with fines and inspections at the company if the girl continued to work. At the same time, the security forces quickly showed the girl the document. They didn’t give me a copy or let me take a photo. The source added that the warning was seen by the security service of Varvara’s company.
“The pressure starts: on me and the company. Threats of criminal charges, the possibility of provocations, continuous inspections, fines for the company. They asked me about my relatives (“where’s the guy, who’s the dad?”), which bloggers I watch, and who I communicate with on Telegram. “In the Telegram, angry Ukrainians, MAX is safe, the rally is a threat to residents.” The management is turning pale — they are afraid for the business,” she said Varvara in her telegram channel.
The girl turned to a lawyer for help. She wrote statements to the Volga department of the FSB, the prosecutor’s office and the Interior Ministry. According to the interlocutor of ASTRA, they said that they did not know which department employees had visited her, and added that according to the law, the girl should have been invited to the FSB department and issued a warning there.
“There is a theory that it was some kind of initiative from below. Uncoordinated,” the ASTRA interlocutor expressed his opinion.
An ASTRA source reported that on March 13, a stranger began stalking the girl. He followed her on foot, and later got into a car and continued to follow the girl. A car with a policeman at the wheel was on duty near Varvara’s house.
According to the source, in the evening, the girl was intercepted at the entrance by uniformed police officers and issued a second warning about “the inadmissibility of carrying out extremist activities.”
Despite the pressure, the rally is planned to be held on March 15, Sunday. Approximately 200 people will come there.
