Russian police have arrested a former director of a fish factory whose employees complained to President Vladimir Putin about a backlog of unpaid wages during a call-in broadcast this month, the TASS news agency reported Thursday.
Natalya Kashkarova, a former head of the “Ostrovnoy” fish factory on the Far Eastern Kuril Islands, was scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday, who will rule on whether to authorize her arrest, the Interfax news agency reported.
She was detained a day earlier on the island of Shukotan and escorted to the regional center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to face court, a spokesperson for the regional prosecutor's office said, Interfax reported.
Earlier this year, a court in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk found Kashkarova guilty of failing to pay 2 million rubles ($30,630) in back wages owed to workers, and handed down a suspended 2.5-year sentence, Interfax reported.
During Putin's call-in broadcast this month, fish factory workers complained about rough working conditions on Shikotan and wage delays.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
