The Russian authorities harass the wives of the mobilized people, who demand their return from the war

The authorities of Russian regions are fighting the wives of mobilized soldiers who demand their return home, write Russian independent media. The authorities do not allow the organization of meetings and warn of responsibility for “extremism”.

In the Kemerovo region, the police came to the apartments of women who were considering organizing a meeting in anonymous chat rooms – writes Meduza, citing the findings of the Vazhnye Istorii project. The officers found the women, although the chats were anonymous and the arrangements regarding the meetings were non-binding, because ultimately the wives of those mobilized decided not to apply for permission to demonstrate.

The police warned about responsibility for participating in meetings not agreed with the authorities and, in some cases, looked through the contents of phones.

In Krasnoyarsk Krai, the police call mobilized wives and warn them of responsibility for “extremism”.

Time on Telegram was also targeted by the authorities

According to media findings, the “Put domoj” (The Way to Home) group was also targeted by the authorities. It is a chat on Telegram in which the relatives of those mobilized (in the “partial mobilization” announced in September last year) contact each other. According to Meduza, it has approximately 11,000 years of age. participants and has existed since August this year.

The chat included, among others: instructions on how to write a letter to the Duma, deputies, and the president regarding the return of men mobilized to fight in Ukraine. In the “manifesto” published on the Put Domoj channel on November 12, its participants declared support for “whoever will give us our men back.”

The group’s participants have asked authorities in several cities for permission to hold meetings, but so far the responses have been negative. In Moscow, the request was sent to the authorities on November 15. The aim of the action is to “support those who have been mobilized, set terms of service and demobilize those who were called up at the end of September 2022.” “There has been no information about the mayor’s response yet,” writes Meduza.