Popular Russian singer put on wanted list

Popular Russian singer Monetochka, with more than 3 million followers on TikTok and millions of views on YouTube, has been put on a wanted list by Russian authorities, news website Mediazona reports. 

Earlier, a criminal case was opened against Monetochka in September. According to Russian prosecutors, Monetochka violated the law on "foreign agents". The singer was labeled a "foreign agent" in January 2023, and according to Russian legislation, anyone labeled as such is obliged to inform the public about it on every post they make. Monetochka refused to put a "foreign agent" label on her content. 

“The (foreign agents) law is yet another attack on free expression and legitimate civic activism in Russia, and should be repealed,” The Human Rights Watch stated on its website earlier.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Monetochka left Russia and is currently based in Vilnius, Lithuania, with her husband and two children. Even if abroad, being on the 'wanted' list still brings inconveniences into a person's life - an individual must avoid any travel or even transfer via countries that have extradition treaties with Russia.

The singer, who was born in the Siberian city of Ekaterinburg, has regularly made anti-war and anti-government statements: 

"All the people who hate Putin and the war as much as I do, I consider my friends. I will always publicly support them," Monetochka said in the interview for the Russian YouTube channel “The Breakfast Show”. 

In the interview, she added that she was concerned about her safety in relation to her public activity.

The music video for Monetochka's song "I Will Survive" is a compilation of personal videos from her fans, including images of bombed-out cities, brutal arrests of protesters and quotes from Russians in exile. 

In another song “Let it Burn” Monetochka sings:

"The omnipresence of the state.

Ironically, there is no culture left in the multicultural country.

The lights are off, the coffin is ready. 

Burn my country, burn ... Soulless”.

Earlier, Russian-American journalist Maria Gessen and the widow of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia Navalnaya, were also put on Russia's wanted list.