An exiled dissident’s wife returned to Russia for a visit. She’s now serving 10 days in jail — over a locked phone.
Elena Morgunova, the wife of Russian performance artist Pavel Krisevich, was detained and sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest for disobeying police orders, the projects “Zona Svobody” and “Slovo Zashchite” said, citing those close to her.
Elena Morgunova, wife of Russian artist Pavel Krisevich, found herself in a Russian jail after returning from France. Now, she faces a 10-day sentence for defying police orders while locked in her phone. The "Zona Svobody" and "Slovo Zashchite" projects disclosed this information, speaking to sources familiar with her case. Morgunova, along with her mother, was riding a bus when police stopped them, but focused solely on the two women.
During questioning about her time in France, Morgunova was taken to court. She had been accused of not unlocking her phone for police. Krisevich, her husband, was previously sentenced to five years in a penal colony in 2022 for a performance on Red Square in June 2021. This performance involved delivering a manifesto criticizing the police state and firing two shots into the air.
He was released in January 2025 and left Russia with Morgunova following two administrative arrests. Rita Flores, a former Pussy Riot activist, revealed in August 2026 that Russian Federal Security Service officers had recruited her in early 2023. She agreed to cooperate, gathering information on contemporary artists, including Krisevich, with whom she shared a friendship.
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