Russians get prison terms for poetry against Ukraine war

Two men sentenced to long prison terms for reading poems against Ukraine assault, sparking cries of "Shame!" from supporters.

A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced two men to long prison terms for reading poems against the assault on Ukraine.

Artyom Kamardin was sentenced to seven years in prison and Yegor Shtovba to five years and six months to cries of “Shame!” from their supporters in the courtroom. Russian authorities have detained thousands for simple acts of protest against the offensive in Ukraine, with criticism effectively outlawed.

Mr. Kamardin said his detention was particularly violent, claiming that officers raped him and forced him to film an apology video while threatening his girlfriend. On the eve of his arrest he had recited his poem “Kill me, militia man!” on a Moscow square where dissidents have been gathering since the Soviet era. He also shouted offensive slogans against the imperial “New Russia” project aiming to annex the south of Ukraine. Both were convicted of “inciting hatred” and “calling for activities threatening state security”.

Mr. Kamardin told the court he did not know his actions broke the law and asked for mercy. “I am not a hero, and going to prison for my beliefs was never in my plans,” he said in a statement, posted on his supporters’ Telegram channel.

Mr. Shtovba also insisted he did not break the law. In his last statement in court, published by independent site Mediazona, he asked the judge: “What have I done that’s illegal? Read poetry?”