Russian police arriving at the home of Alexei Navalny ally Anastasia Vasilyeva were met with a Beethoven performance by the woman they sought to arrest, according to Reuters.
Anastasia Vasilyeva, the head of the Russia’s Doctors Alliance trade union, was reportedly visited by the police Wednesday night. In a video posted to Twitter soon after, Vasilyeva can be seen calmly playing Beethoven on her piano as police tell her they will be searching her apartment, according to Reuters.
Vasilyeva continues to play as police can faintly be heard ordering her to turn over all electronic devices. Vasilyeva finishes her recital in the video by asking whether anyone would applaud.
Обыск в квартире @DrAnastasy
продолжается. Раз нарушила санитарный режим — изъять технику! С ковидом только так и можно бороться.Анастасия отлично играет и на хамство внимания не обращает. Героическая женщина! ✊???? pic.twitter.com/Xif3BGljkI
— zakharova ❌ (@exCheremnova) January 27, 2021
Vasilyeva’s lawyer Dmitry Djulai said that Vasilyeva was imprisoned for 48 hours, according to Reuters. (RELATED: 7 Powerful Countries Come Together To Condemn Arrest Of Opposition Leader, Detention Of Protesters)
“Her detention was inappropriate and stupid revenge for her human rights activities,” wrote Djulai in a Facebook post, according to Reuters. “Anastasia’s two children, minors, were left at home and tomorrow her patients will not be able to see her.”
Vasilyeva has reportedly asked protesters to fill the streets Sunday and demand Navalny’s release.
Navalny, a longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was poisoned in a nearly-fatal assassination attempt in summer of 2020. Navalny later returned to Russia and was promptly arrested, as has been previously reported. Police began to arrest Navalny’s allies after thousands of protesters demanded his release on Saturday, according to Reuters.