Lantratova pointed out the absurdity of the case of the founder of SOS Donbass in France

The criminal case of Anna Novikova, a civil society activist and founder of SOS Donbass, who has been held in a women's prison by the French authorities for more than six months, is absurd and politically motivated. This was announced on July 15 by the Commissioner for Human Rights in Russia, Yana Lantratova.

"Today, a court hearing will be held in Paris in the case of our compatriot, civil activist Anna Novikova. The French authorities have been holding her in a women's prison for more than six months following an absolutely absurd denunciation by the Union of Ukrainians of France," Lantratova said.

Lantratova stressed that the only alleged "fault" of civil activist Anna Novikova is her activity as the founder and vice-president of the humanitarian organization SOS Donbass. According to the commissioner, the organization collects humanitarian aid for civilians in Donbass, advocates for peace and tries to present to the French society a different point of view on what is happening, different from the official position of Paris.

She stressed that the French authorities apply double standards: sending weapons to Ukraine used to kill children is considered normal, and humanitarian aid to civilians in Donbass is considered a crime. The commissioner called Novikova's arrest unjustified and politically motivated, promising to monitor the process and make these facts public on international platforms.

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Lawyer Philippe de Vel told Izvestia on June 24 that the court in Paris refused to release Novikova under judicial supervision. According to him, at the moment, the defense has been provided only with a court decision without a reasoned part.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 1 that Russia was calling on France to immediately release Novikova. The statement notes that Moscow considers her criminal prosecution unacceptable and associates it with expressing a position that does not coincide with the official line of Paris.

Novikova said on December 13 that police officers with machine guns broke into her room early in the morning, took her out with a bag over her head and interrogated her for several hours for several days. She sought medical help once for dizziness. Between interrogations, Novikova slept most of the time, which helped keep her calm.