{
  "id": 3089544,
  "title": "Former Pussy Riot member escapes Russia after 3 years of forced work for FSB",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/former-pussy-riot-member-escapes-russia-after-3-years-of-forced-work",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T18:57:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/former-pussy-riot-member-escapes-russia-says-fsb-forcibly-recruited-her/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rita Flores, formerly a member of the radical punk protest group Pussy Riot, has escaped from Russia after three years of forced labor for the FSB, Russia's security service. Flores, whose real name is Margarita Konovalova, claims she was recruited by the FSB in 2023 after they conducted searches of her apartment and subjected her to humiliation and threats. She was ordered to gather information on artists and political activists, both in and outside Russia, and had her passport confiscated. The FSB allegedly sought to develop her into an \"asset\" and to help identify potential targets for criminal investigations. In an Instagram post, Flores detailed her ordeal, which included prolonged depression, derealization, PTSD from surveillance, and multiple suicide attempts. She ultimately contacted a lawyer, Dmitry Zakhvatov, who helped her stall the FSB's demands long enough to escape the country. Canadian-Russian activist Pyotr Verzilov, who Flores alleges the FSB tried to murder, expressed gratitude for her escape, stating that the FSB's attempts to kill him are evidence of their opposition to Ukrainian resistance. Flores thanked Zakhvatov and businessman Leonid Nevzlin for their assistance in her escape, without revealing her current location, only stating that she shared her story to provide hope for others facing similar situations.",
  "summary": "\"They began recruiting me, threatening me in every possible way, humiliating me, saying some very unpleasant things, threatening to kill my family, and telling me that I would never in my life be able to prove who killed my mother,\" Rita Flores said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "Ex-Pussy Riot member says FSB coerced her into three years of informing on Russian artists and activists, then told her to help kidnap and kill Pyotr Verzilov",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/ex-pussy-riot-member-says-fsb-coerced-her-into-three-years-of",
        "published": "2026-08-24T18:49:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Insider",
        "title": "Ex-Pussy Riot member Rita Flores says she cooperated with the FSB for nearly three years before escaping Russia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/ex-pussy-riot-member-rita-flores-says-she-cooperated-with-the-fsb-for",
        "published": "2026-08-24T18:53:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ukrinform - Politics",
        "title": "Over 50 UN member states call on Russia to agree to full, unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/over-50-un-member-states-call-on-russia-to-agree-to-full",
        "published": "2026-08-24T20:06:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}