A Russian antiwar protester said she was stripped down to her underpants by authorities and interrogated for 10 hours at her home, an ordeal she described as living "under fascism."
Ekaterina Aleksandrova, 26, is employed as an assistant to Helga Pirogova, an opposition independent deputy of the Novosibirsk City Council who publicly opposes the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Independent reports that police used accusations of fraud and theft to justify their searches of Aleksandrova’s home and those of two other assistants on March 6.
Aleksandrova told the Independent that she was accused because she and her colleagues have publicly condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine and because she supports opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Pirogova has four assistants, Aleksandrova said, but only the three who publicly opposed the war and posted anti-war messages on social media were searched by police.
State police confiscated phones and a computer during their search of her property, Aleksandrova told the Independent, and a man who was also searched had his legs beaten.
"During the search they smashed the whole apartment, took away my passport with a Schengen visa," she told the PA news agency.
"Then I was charged with allegedly stealing," Aleksandrova continued. "I was searched, stripped down to my underpants."
Aleksandrova told the Independent she was interrogated at length, and that the whole ordeal lasted more than 10 hours.
"It feels like I live under fascism," she said.
While she was not arrested that day, Aleksandrova said she fears she will be soon.
"I don’t feel safe," she said. "I’m very anxious ... my passport was taken away from me. I can’t even leave yet."
According to the Independent, a Schengen visa allows entry and travel within the European Union member countries.
Unless it is returned, she can only travel to Kazakhstan or Armenia.
Aleksandrova said all of her friends have fled to countries such as Georgia, Turkey and Armenia, and many have left permanently, abandoning their apartments.
"Who has not left, thinks how to do it as soon as possible," she said. "Everyone who realizes what is happening is running into the unknown, buying a one-way ticket, out of fear."
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