MOSCOW – A member of the Pussy Riot protest group has been charged with failing to properly notify Russian authorities about his Canadian citizenship, officials said Tuesday.The charges filed Tuesday came a day after Russian activist Pytor Verzilov was released after serving 15 days in jail for swearing in public.
He said he was assaulted in what he claimed was a provocation staged by police and that there was no evidence he swore. The 15-day sentence followed Verzilov's questioning in connection with a protest against the Kremlin last year.
Verzilov, who was born in Canada, has Russian and Canadian citizenship. Russians are required by law to inform the authorities about foreign citizenship.