Russian band arrested mid-concert over 'Nazi symbols'

MOSCOW: Three members of a well-known Russian metal band -- Korrozia Metalla -- were on Saturday arrested in the middle of a concert and charged with displaying "Nazi symbols", authorities said.

The three band members aged 19, 42 and 57 are accused of "propaganda or public exposition of Nazi accessories or symbols", said regional police in the western city of Nijni-Novgorod.

"Police officers with the support of the national guard arrested three members of a music band in one of Nijni-Novgorod's clubs," police added in a statement.

The offence is usually punishable by a fine or a short period of administrative detention.

Police said they seized T-shirts and books "displaying banned symbols".

Band leader Maria Rounova told state news agency TASS the motifs in question are "old Slavic symbols".

In images shared on social media, security forces can be seen bursting into the concert hall and forcing spectators to lie down on the floor.

Since Russia sparked the conflict in Ukraine more than two years ago, Moscow has cracked down on dissent with free expression increasingly under pressure.