Police in the central Russian city of Penza detained and allegedly pressured a group of activists who had come to support jailed members of an anti-fascist group, Russian media reported Tuesday. Seven members of the group Set — Russian for “Network” — were sentenced to up to 18 years on terrorism charges in Penza on Monday in a case that observers have compared to a Soviet-era show trial. Olga Misik, Anna Loyko, Sergei Zapolnov and Nikolai Sokolov had come to Penza from Moscow to join other activists in supporting the seven anti-fascists as their verdicts were being read.

Police officers detained the four activists at the Penza train station on suspicion of vandalism and graffiti, the MBKh Media news website reported, citing the police. Misik wrote that officers had beaten the activists and torn their clothes while they were in custody. The activists were later released without charges, MBKh Media reported. Vladislav Barabanov, an activist and ex-defendant in the so-called "Moscow Case," told The Moscow Times that Loyko was punched in the face, her jacket was torn and her mask of Boris Yeltsin was seized by police while in detention.