Activist Shevchenko awarded Nemtsov Prize

The Boris Nemtsov Prize for courage in fighting for democratic values in Russia has been awarded to Rostov activist Anastasia Shevchenko, accused of association with an undesirable organization.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Anastasia Shevchenko, a member of the Federal Council of "The Open Russia"* movement, has been under house arrest since January 23, the term of which was extended by the court until June 17. The case against her was the first one in Russia, initiated under Article 284.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (activities of an organization recognized as undesirable in the territory of Russia). The Amnesty International recognized Shevchenko to be a prisoner of conscience. On February 8, 2019, the Human Rights Centre (HRC) "Memorial" declared her a political prisoner.

The Board of the Boris Nemtsov Fund has decided to award Anastasia Shevchenko, the website of the "Novaya Gazeta", where on April 5-30 a vote was taken to select the prize finalists, reported on May 23.

The awarding ceremony will take place on June 12. The prize in the amount of 10,000 euros will be granted to a representative of Anastasia Shevchenko, since she is under house arrest.

* The activities of two organizations registered in Great Britain and containing the words "Open Russia" in their names have been recognized as undesirable in Russia by the Russian General Prosecutor's Office.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 23, 2019 at 07:15 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.