In a Moscow court, poet Artyom Kamardin, 33, was sentenced to seven years in prison for reciting verses against the Ukraine campaign during an anti-mobilization protest.
Yegor Shtovba, 23, who also participated in the protest, received a sentence of five years and six months. Both were convicted of “inciting hatred” and “calling for activities threatening state security.”
During sentencing, Kamardin recited a poem referring to poetry as “gut-wrenching” and disliked by “people accustomed to order.”
Supporters in the courtroom voiced cries of “Shame!” upon hearing the verdict, and some were detained by police outside the court building.
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Criticism of the Ukraine offensive has effectively been outlawed in Russia, leading to the detention of thousands for acts of protest.
Kamardin claimed his detention was violent, alleging rape by officers and coercion into filming an apology video while threatening his partner.
The charges against Kamardin and Shtovba relate to their participation in a Moscow protest where Kamardin recited a poem against the “New Russia” project seeking to annex the south of Ukraine. They were accused of “inciting hatred” and “calling for activities threatening state security.”
Kamardin, who pleaded ignorance of breaking the law, sought mercy, stating, “I am not a hero, and going to prison for my beliefs was never in my plans.” His father denounced the sentence as a “total outrage.”
Shtovba, in his statement, questioned the legality of his actions, emphasizing that he was being punished for reading poetry. He expressed regret to his mother, who depended on him financially.
These sentences follow a pattern of heavy penalties against Russians protesting the offensive in Ukraine. Notable opposition figures, including Alexei Navalny, have either fled the country or are behind bars.
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