The Pussy Riot activist turned Kremlin informer
Summary
Sean Walker reports on Rita Flores, a Pussy Riot artist who confessed to being an FSB informant for three years. Recruited through threats, she attempted to sabotage her duties but was ordered to target a Ukrainian fighter. The episode features an interview with Masha Alokhina, a Pussy Riot founder who helped Flores escape Russia, discussing the chilling effect of state infiltration on the opposition.
Topics discussed
Episode intro: Pussy Riot artist turned Kremlin informer
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2012 Red Square protest and Pussy Riot's rise
Rita Flores' viral confession as FSB informant
Sean Walker joins; background on Pussy Riot
The 2012 'Punk Prayer' trial and prison conditions
Flores' link to the group and post-2022 repression
Flores' escape and initial public statement
How the FSB recruited Flores via threats
The 'Good Cop' and 'Bad Cop' FSB handlers
Flores' strategy to sabotage her informant work
Targeting Pyotr Vasilov and the kidnapping plot
Secrecy, gossip, and the limits of her testimony
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Masha Alokina's dramatic escape from Russia
Masha's reaction to Flores' confession and forgiveness
Analysis: FSB tactics and the resulting paranoia
Outro and credits
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