Anastasia Shevchenko is a Russian politician and activist who served as a coordinator for the Open Russia Movement in Rostov. In 2019, she was detained and sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, making her the first person in Russia sentenced under the harsh “undesirable organizations” laws. As a mother of three, Shevchenko was barred from seeing her children while in prison. Tragically, during her imprisonment, her daughter Alina was hospitalized and passed away, highlighting the Russian regime’s brutal treatment of dissidents and its use of family separation to silence opposition. Due to significant social pressure, Shevchenko was eventually released and left Russia. Today, she uses her platform to advocate for a free and open Russia.
