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| Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a member of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, speaks during a news conference at Niceto in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Reuters) |
Russian authorities on Thursday designated a member of the Pussy Riot
punk group, a satirist and an art collector as foreign agents, part of
efforts to stifle dissent.
The Justice Ministry applied the label to Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, a
Pussy Riot member who became widely known for taking part in a 2012
protest inside Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral, after which she
spent nearly two years in prison.
Journalist and satirist Viktor Shenderovich and art collector Marat
Gelman were also handed the label, along with several other people.
The foreign agent label implies additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations that can discredit recipients. Russian authorities have applied the designation to scores of media outlets, civil society groups and individuals, ratcheting up pressure on those who are critical of the Kremlin.
Those designated as foreign
agents are required to add a lengthy statement to news reports, social
media posts and other materials specifying that the content was created
by a foreign agent. Earlier this week, Russia's court on Tuesday shut
the country's oldest and most prominent human rights group, Memorial,
citing its failure to identify itself as a foreign agent.
