The case shows how incomplete the Russian revolution has been, particularly after Putin reinstated authoritarian measures and increased the power of the internal security agencies.
Kazakova, 47, acted after a major construction project at the resort exposed a hot water main, threatening the heating supply for the entire village as temperatures plunged to 30 degrees below zero.
The FSB responded with a raid of masked special service into her home and the homes of her associates. More than 250 witnesses have been interrogated, and 67 volumes of evidence have been collected. Despite domestic and international criticism, the FSB is unconcerned and pushing ahead with the criminal case. The New York Times reports that “[f]or nearly two and a half years, she was denied all contact with her fiancé, mother and three children, including a 15-year-old daughter who has a neurological disease.”
She now faces seven years in prison.
Source: NY Times