Prague, Sept 19 (CTK) – Czech authorities may extradite Oleg Vorotnikov, a member of the Russian dissident art group Voina, for prosecution to Russia, as he was detained in Prague on Sunday, his wife Natalya Sokol is afraid, Radio Free Evropa/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) said on Monday.
Police spokesman Josef Bocan said he had no information about Vorotnikov’s detention.
Vorotnikov is in the online data base of Interpol-wanted persons.
Along with Vorotnikov, 38, Sokol and their daughter were detained, but the women were released on Monday.
According to the RFE/RL, the activists came to Europe from Russia after its authorities started prosecuting them over what they call hooliganism.
A warrant arrest was issued for both of them in Russia. Vorotnikov and Sokol have lived in a number of European countries, but none of them has granted asylum to them.
The Voina group made its mark in Russia especially by its work “A Phallus Captured by the FSB.” In June 2010, it painted a huge phallus on a drawbridge opposite the Sankt Petersburg headquarters of the Russian FSB secret service.
In November 2010, Vorotnikov and another member of Voina Leonid Nikolayev were detained due to their overturning police cars under the excuse of looking for a lost ball. For this, they were charged with political, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious and social hatred.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova from the famous Pussy Riot punk group was also a member of Voina.
In November 2011, members of the group put up banners warning of the Interpol warrant of arrest for Vorotnikov in Prague.
