Moscow detention center forces lawyers to strip at security checkpoint

Security staff at Moscow’s pretrial detention centre No. 4, known as “Medved,” have instituted a new search protocol that obliges defence counsel to remove undergarments at the entrance checkpoint. Female lawyers are told to take off their bras, while a male colleague was forced to unzip his fly and lower his pants, with the inspection taking place publicly rather than in a separate room. Anastasia Georgievskaya, a practising defence attorney, reported that those who do not comply are subsequently barred from meeting their clients.

She noted that not all lawyers have accepted the measure, and the refusal has led to denied visitation rights. The incident highlights escalating pressure on legal professionals within Russia’s criminal justice system.