A Russian court has ordered the arrest of Pussy Riot member Lucy Shtein in absentia for spreading “fake news” about the Russian military, the state-run news agency TASS reported Tuesday.
Moscow’s Basmanny District Court authorized Shtein’s two-month placement in pre-trial detention once she is extradited or returns to Russia, a court spokesperson told TASS.
“She is placed on an international wanted list,” the unnamed spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Russian law enforcement first placed Shtein on its wanted list in May 2022 on unspecified charges.
In February, state media reported that Shtein was charged with making “false” allegations on Twitter about the Russian military in Ukraine.
Spreading “false information” about the Russian Armed Forces is punishable by up to 10 years in prison under the country’s wartime censorship laws.
Shtein fled Russia for Lithuania with her girlfriend and Pussy Riot bandmate Maria Alyokhina in the spring of 2022, weeks after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
Until last year, she served as a Moscow municipal deputy after being elected as a member of the liberal opposition party Yabloko in 2017.
In May 2023, media in Iceland reported that Shtein and Alyokhina were both put forward as candidates to receive Icelandic citizenship by parliamentary decree.
