Russia puts prominent Pussy Riot member on wanted list

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities have added a prominent member of the protest group Pussy Riot to the government’s wanted list, in the latest step to turn up the pressure on opposition activists and independent media. Pyotr Verzilov, a publisher of independent news site Mediazona, was labelled “foreign agent” along with the media outlet and its chief editor Sergei Smirnov in September. The designation comes with additional government scrutiny and carries strong pejorative connotations that can discredit the recipient. Verzilov’s lawyer said his name appeared on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list due to his failure to report his Canadian citizenship to authorities.