The chief of the Memorial human right group's branch in the Russian city of Perm, Aleksandr Chernyshov, was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on May 5 while he was boarding a plane to Istanbul. Memorial said the detention may be linked to a probe into Memorial's archive materials in Perm that the authorities ordered to be transferred to Moscow after the group was liquidated in February 2022. In March, police searched the homes of Memorial activists in Perm and questioned them regarding the whereabouts of the archives. The veteran human rights organization has been working as a nonregistered entity since its official closure. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Russian Service, click here.
