The members of a well-known Russian heavy metal band, Korrozia Metalla, were arrested by the police in full concert in Nizhny Novgorod and charged with “propaganda of Nazi symbols”, the authorities announce, reports AFP, quoted by News.ro.
“Police officers, with the support of the National Guard, arrested three members of a music group in a club in Nizhny Novgorod”, the regional police announced in a statement on Saturday evening.
The three members of the band, aged 19, 42 and 57, are accused of “propaganda or public display of Nazi paraphernalia or symbols”, a crime most often punished with a fine or a short period of administrative detention.
The police announce that they confiscated T-shirts and books “with prohibited symbols”.
According to the director of the band, Maria Runova, interviewed by the official Russian news agency Tass, the respective symbols are “former Slavic symbols”.
In images from the concert broadcast on social networks, law enforcement appear to enter the hall during the concert and force the spectators to lie down on the ground, in some cases by force.
The cultural environment in Russia is under increasing pressure from the authorities, after more than two years of the War in Ukraine and a crackdown in all directions against dissident voices.
In December, a party with “nearly naked” guests organized by Russian celebrities in a Moscow club caused a scandal and a criminal investigation, forcing the participants to issue a public apology.
Tags: Russian heavy metal band arrested concert Nazi symbolism band Slavic symbols
