MOSCOW, Russia: Artist and musician Aleksandra Skochilenko was detained after she replaced the price tags with anti-war messages at grocery stores in Saint Petersburg. The Russian authorities are also on the lookout for a network of feminist anti-war activists, according to Amnesty International.
Skochilenko has been charged with “Discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.” She will remain in custody until her trial on June 1, and faces up to 10 years in jail, Amnesty International said.
The idea to replace supermarket price tags with anti-war messages was promoted by the Feminist Anti-War Resistance (FAS) group, which was founded the day after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. FAS members have also stamped currency with anti-war slogans and printed out and distributed articles from independent media outlets.
Amnesty International’s director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Marie Struthers, said in a statement that Russian authorities “continue to wage war against the human rights of Russian people. All activists detained for peacefully participating in acts of anti-war dissent must be immediately and unconditionally released. Cracking down on this feminist-led anti-war movement represents yet another desperate attempt to silence criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
