Femen report leader detained at Russian airport
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 November 2012 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Femen report leader detained at Russian airport, 16 November 2012, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/50b4d0d93ba.html [accessed 26 May 2013] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
November 16, 2012
By RFE/RL
Femen organizer Anna Hutsol (right) with fellow activists in Kyiv in August
Ukrainian activist group Femen reports that one of its leaders, Anna Hutsol, has been detained at a Russian airport.
The group said on its Facebook page on November 16 that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) was responsible for the detention.
A subsequent report by "Ukrayinska Pravda" said FSB agents and border guards took Hutsol's documents at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport and took her away for questioning.
Femen promotes women's rights through high-profile stunts that are frequently carried out topless, attracting wide international attention.
The group has also displeased officials at home in Ukraine, in neighboring Belarus, and in other countries where they have staged protests, often considered by some to be disrespectful and in some cases, illegal.
Their targets are frequently perceived abusers of women's rights, but the group, which has grown exponentially in recent years with branches in a number of countries, also takes on other issues.
Established in 2008, Femen has recently sought to disrupt events at the London Olympics and the Euro 2012 soccer tournament in Poland.
One member fled Ukraine after causing a scandal by cutting down an Orthodox cross in a park.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
