On the eve of his arrest, one of many males had recited his poem “Kill me, militia man!”
Moscow:
A Moscow court docket on Thursday sentenced two males to lengthy jail phrases for studying poems in opposition to the assault on Ukraine.
Artyom Kamardin was sentenced to seven years in jail and Yegor Shtovba to 5 years and 6 months to cries of “Disgrace!” from their supporters within the courtroom, an AFP journalist on the listening to noticed.
Russian authorities have detained hundreds for easy acts of protest in opposition to the offensive in Ukraine, with criticism successfully outlawed.
Kamardin, 33, stated his detention was significantly violent, claiming that officers raped him and compelled him to movie an apology video whereas threatening his girlfriend.
On the eve of his arrest he had recited his poem “Kill me, militia man!” on a Moscow sq. the place dissidents have been gathering for the reason that Soviet period.
Kamardin additionally shouted offensive slogans in opposition to the imperial “New Russia” challenge aiming to annex the south of Ukraine.
Each had been convicted of “inciting hatred” and “calling for actions threatening state safety”.
Kamardin advised the court docket he didn’t know his actions broke the legislation and requested for mercy.
“I’m not a hero, and going to jail for my beliefs was by no means in my plans,” he stated in a press release, posted on his supporters’ Telegram channel.
– ‘Underneath torture’ –
After the sentencing, his father Yury stated: “It is a complete outrage!”
Round two dozen buddies got here to assist the defendants together with the poets’ dad and mom and wives.
Kamardin’s spouse Alexandra Popova was within the crowd.
“It’s a very harsh sentence. Seven years for poems, for a non-violent crime,” she stated, earlier than being detained.
In an interview with AFP in late 2022, she had recounted her then boyfriend’s arrest, saying officers threatened her with “gang rape”, hit her and sprayed superglue on her cheeks and mouth.
In the meantime Kamardin was taken to a separate room, the place — as he advised his lawyer — he was overwhelmed and raped with a barbell.
Kamardin was additionally compelled to movie an apology video.
Sorry for ‘leaving you’
Shtovba, 23, additionally insisted he didn’t break the legislation.
In his final assertion in court docket, revealed by impartial web site Mediazona, he requested the choose: “What have I performed that is unlawful? Learn poetry?”
He additionally addressed his mom, who he stated relied on him financially.
“Mother, I do know that you simply, greater than anybody, imagine in my innocence… Nonetheless, I am sorry for the way issues turned out, leaving you and pa alone.”
Nikolai Dayneko, who was arrested on the similar time, was sentenced to 4 years in jail final Could after getting into a pre-trial settlement, in accordance with OVD-info.
That is the most recent in a string of heavy sentences in opposition to Russians who protested the offensive, in trials critics denounce as absurd.
In mid-November choose Oksana Demiasheva sentenced artist Alexandra Skochilenko to seven years in jail for swapping worth tags with slogans criticising Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.
Skochilenko had changed 5 worth tags in a department of one in all Russia’s largest grocery store chains in Saint Petersburg with messages concerning the battle.
The trials of extraordinary Russians often happen away from public consideration, not like these of distinguished critics.
Most of Russia’s high-profile opposition figures have fled the nation or are behind bars, together with Alexei Navalny.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
