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Pussy Riot ex-member's shocking revelations: From activist to FSB agent in murder plot
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

Pussy Riot ex-member's shocking revelations: From activist to FSB agent in murder plot

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Rita Flores, a former member of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot, claims she was coerced by Russian security services (FSB) into spying on activists.
  • Flores alleges she was threatened and blackmailed with personal material, and was even asked to participate in a plot to assassinate Pyotr Verzilov.
  • Her claims, which have not been independently verified, detail alleged surveillance and recruitment tactics used by the FSB against dissidents.

Rita Flores, a former member of the prominent Russian feminist protest group Pussy Riot, has made serious allegations against Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB). Flores claims she was pressured into becoming an informant, spying on fellow Russian artists and political activists.

According to an interview with lawyer Dmitry Zakhvatov for Port, Flores alleges that the FSB threatened her and individuals close to her, using blackmail involving personal, intimate material that was subsequently shared in her neighborhood. She claims her phone was compromised, and she was subjected to harassment, including finding a dead cat on her doorstep and having messages written on her apartment door.

They came to my house and threatened me.

— Rita FloresFlores described the initial intimidation tactics she allegedly faced before cooperating with the FSB.

Flores states that after being detained in Minsk in March 2022 and allegedly mistreated by Belarusian security forces before being forced back to Russia, she faced at least two home searches. During a third search in March 2023, she claims two FSB officers demanded her cooperation, issuing threats against her and her relatives. Under this pressure, Flores alleges she succumbed and agreed to cooperate.

I was asked to participate in a murder plot against Pyotr Verzilov.

— Rita FloresFlores made a shocking claim about the extent of the FSB's alleged demands.

She was reportedly given the operational pseudonym "Harley" by the FSB and tasked with compiling profiles on specific artists, including friends. For approximately two months, Flores claims she provided information, while enduring constant intimidation from her FSB handlers. Her passport was confiscated, and she was given a separate mobile phone for communication with the service.

Flores alleges the FSB showed particular interest in sensitive personal details of those under surveillance, such as extramarital affairs, drug use, health problems, and depression, seeking information on who might be vulnerable. She claims her handlers instructed her to "find out who is depressed. Because if they are depressed, it means they are sick. So you can work with that."

They told me, for example, to find out who is depressed. Because if they are depressed, it means they are sick. So you can work with that.

— Rita FloresFlores detailed the type of personal information the FSB allegedly sought regarding activists.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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