Russian artist sentenced to seven years for anti-war demonstration
Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko sentenced to seven years in jail for her daring act of protest, replacing grocery store price tags with powerful anti-war messages The St Petersburg court's decision sparks debate on freedom of expression and the limits of political dissent
After replacing price tags with anti-war messages in a St. Petersburg grocery store as an act of protest, Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko received a seven-year jail sentence on Thursday. The court found her guilty of "public dissemination of intentionally false information about the utilization of the Russian Federation Armed Forces."
Last year in March, Skochilenko was accused by the prosecution of placing paper fragments in a chain supermarket in St. Petersburg. These fragments allegedly contained intentionally false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in locations meant for attaching commodity price tags. Despite Skochilenko's plea of not guilty and the defense's request for acquittal, the court has handed down a seven-year sentence along with a three-year prohibition on activities related to using "electronic or information and telecommunication networks," as stated by the press service in a Telegram post.
Major museums worldwide are discreetly reclassifying artworks from Russian to Ukrainian origin.
According to the independent investigative newspaper Novaya Gazeta, Skochilenko has been held in pretrial detention since April 2022, during which her health has been declining.
In her final statement before the verdict was announced on Thursday, Skochilenko questioned the perceived threat that her actions posed. She expressed her disbelief in the prosecutor's lack of faith in the strength of the state and society, suggesting that the destruction of statehood and public safety could not be caused by just five small pieces of paper.
Identifying herself as a pacifist, Skochilenko expressed her confusion regarding Russia's aggression against Ukraine. She highlighted the efforts of scientists and doctors worldwide who are striving to increase life expectancy and find cures for deadly diseases. In light of this, she failed to comprehend the purpose or necessity of war, emphasizing that it only shortens lives and results in death, as reported by a courtroom correspondent from the independent news outlet Mediazona.
Russian forces nearly obliterated the artwork of this Ukrainian artist, but it has now emerged as a powerful emblem of peace on a global scale. The Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International, Marie Struthers, expressed strong disapproval of the verdict.
In a statement, Struthers condemned the "unjust verdict," emphasizing that Skochilenko had been "unfairly deprived of her freedom and subjected to harsh conditions for 19 months."
Continuing, Struthers stated that Skochilenko had merely been attempting to uncover "Russian aggression against the people of Ukraine." Struthers added that Skochilenko's persecution had become a symbol of the brutal oppression experienced by Russians who openly resist their country's unlawful warfare."
