Three members of the Russian metal band Korrozia Metalla were apprehended during a live performance on Saturday, facing charges related to the display of “Nazi symbols,” according to authorities.

Law enforcement officials in Nizhny Novgorod stated that the trio, aged 19, 42, and 57, stand accused of “propaganda or public display of Nazi accessories or symbols.”

“Police officers, with the support of the National Guard [Rosgvardia], detained three members of a music band at a venue in Nizhny Novgorod,” authorities stated in an official release.

The alleged offense typically carries penalties such as fines or short periods of administrative detention.

Reports indicate that law enforcement confiscated T-shirts and books bearing “banned symbols.” However, band leader Maria Rounova contended to state-run news agency TASS that the motifs in question were “old Slavic symbols.”

Videos circulating on social media depict security forces entering the concert hall and instructing audience members to lie down on the floor.

In the wake of Russia’s extensive invasion of Ukraine over two years ago, authorities have intensified their crackdown on dissent, leading to increased pressure on free expression.

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