US citizen arrested in Russia over online mail
Police in St. Petersburg arrest a man from the USA. The authorities accuse him of posting a provocative picture with the St. George ribbon on the internet. The ribbon is popular with Putin supporters.
According to Russian police, a US citizen has been arrested in the metropolis of St. Petersburg. According to a police statement, the 60-year-old man, who holds both Russian and US citizenship, is being investigated for allegedly "rehabilitating Nazism". He is said to have posted a provocative picture with the orange and black St. George band on a Russian social network last year, which police say "defiles a symbol of Russia's military glory". The man faces up to five years in prison or a fine of up to the equivalent of almost 70,000 euros.
According to the Russian Telegram channel Baza, the picture of the arrested man showed the George Ribbon wrapped around the big toe of a corpse, with the caption: "The right way to wear the George Ribbon". The ribbon originally dates back to tsarist times. In Russia under Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, it has been a symbol of remembrance since 2005 and in recent years has increasingly become a symbol of loyalty to Putin and the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Since last December, its "desecration" has been a punishable offense in Russia. In several ex-Soviet republics, however, the St. George's ribbon is banned as a sign of Russian aggression.
A spokesperson for the US State Department in Washington said in response to an inquiry that the reports about the arrest of a US citizen in Russia were known. For the Department, there is no higher priority than the safety of US citizens abroad. If an American is detained abroad, the Department will endeavor to provide all reasonable assistance.
Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine more than 21 months ago, several US citizens have been arrested in Russia. Observers believe it is possible that Moscow could use detained Americans as bargaining chips in its tense relationship with the USA.
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Source: www.ntv.de
