A court in the Altai Republic of Siberia ordered the release of local activist Aruna Arna on Thursday, a prominent opponent of the municipal reforms backed by the Kremlin, just one day after her arrest on charges of inciting terrorism.
According to the independent journalists and activists’ group Razoblacheno, the judge approved Arna’s release from custody but imposed limitations on her movements and activities. She is prohibited from visiting airports or train stations, attending public gatherings, and using her phone or the internet.
Arna has become a leading figure in protests against a Kremlin-supported overhaul of governance and the expansion of state-owned enterprises in the Altai Republic. Last month, Russia’s financial watchdog, Rosfinmonitoring, added her to its list of “terrorists and extremists.”
On Wednesday, law enforcement announced her arrest and indicated that they would request a court to place her in pre-trial detention. It remains unclear whether she faces formal charges.
Arna had posted a video on social media showing the initial moments of a police raid at her home prior to her arrest. In the footage, law enforcement officers can be seen forcefully entering her apartment and ordering those inside to lie on the ground.
Fellow activists informed independent media that Arna intended to travel to Moscow on the day of her arrest to deliver signatures demanding the resignation of Andrei Turchak, the head of the Altai Republic. Protests against Turchak have shaken the region since the controversial municipal reforms were enacted this past summer.
These reforms consolidated numerous rural areas into larger districts, where several elections were held earlier this month. Critics argue that this overhaul diminishes local political representation for residents and grants Moscow greater control over regional governance.
In August, the Altai Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit contesting the municipal reforms, leading to significant protests in the capital, Gorno-Altaysk.
