Russian poets Artyom Kamardin (l) and Yegor Shtovba in front of a Moscow court on December 28, 2023 (Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
A Moscow court on Thursday sentenced two Russian poets to five and a half and seven years in prison for taking part in a reading against the offensive in Ukraine, a new example of the country's repression.
Thousands of Russians, whether opponents or ordinary citizens, have been sentenced by the courts over the past two years, some to particularly harsh sentences, for criticizing the offensive against Ukraine.
“Shame” shouted supporters of Artiom Kamardine, 33, and Iegor Chtovba, 23, when this verdict was announced, according to an AFP journalist present at the hearing.
“This is absolutely arbitrary!” exclaimed Artiom Kamardine’s father, Youri Kamardine. At least ten people were arrested by police outside the court.
“All are equal before the law, but some are more equal than others. Our sons have proven themselves unequal in the fight against them,” joked his mother Elena.
Artiom Kamardin and Iegor Shtovba were arrested in September 2022 after attending a public reading in Moscow on Triumfalnaya Square near the monument to poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, a meeting place for dissidents since Soviet times.
During this reading, Artiom Kamardine recited “Kill me, militiaman!”, a poem hostile to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
“Breaking the Silence”
Russian poet Artyom Kamardin in front of a Moscow court on December 28, 2023 (Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
He was arrested the next day during a search of his home, during which he claimed he was beaten and raped with a dumbbell by police officers.
First, the two poets were accused of “incitement to hatred,” then they were also accused of “public calls for activities against the security of the state.”
Shortly before the verdict was announced on Thursday, Mr. Kamardine read out some verses of poetry that, in his opinion, allow us to “break the silence.”
He also told the press that he would “not give up” and show no “regret.” “Many people from the culture I admire have had prison experiences, for example Mayakovsky,” he said.
“I am not a hero and going to prison for what I believe was never part of my plans,” Artiom Kamardine told the court in his final words posted by his supporters on Telegram.
He pleaded with the judge to let him “come home” and in return promised to stay away from any “sensitive subject.”
His wife Alexandra Popova told AFP she regretted the “very severe” sentence. “Seven years for poetry,” she emphasized.
“Foolish to hope”
“As much as we wanted to believe deep down that things would go smoother and easier,” it was “crazy to hope,” she continued. “If we had normal courts, this situation wouldn’t exist.”
She was taken away by police after speaking out, as were a friend of the poet and two journalists.
Three people, including journalist Evguéni Kourakine, remained in custody ahead of a court hearing on Thursday evening and were accused of taking part in a meeting, according to independent media Sota.
The lawyer of this arrested reporter, Evguénia Grigorieva, had previously confirmed that the authorities accused them of “disturbing public order” and that they faced 30 days in prison.
A third poet, Nikolaï Daïneko, who was arrested at the same time, was sentenced to four years in prison in May, according to OVD-info.
The German Foreign Ministry condemned Thursday's ruling and regretted that freedom of expression was being “suppressed” in Russia.
Russian poet Yegor Shtovba in front of a Moscow court on December 28, 2023 (Alexander NEMENOV / AFP)
The government has been suppressing critical voices for years, but with the start of the offensive against Ukraine, the repression campaign took on considerable proportions.
Almost all major opponents were imprisoned or driven into exile, and thousands of ordinary Russians were prosecuted and fined or jailed for voicing their disagreement with the Kremlin.
In November, artist Alexandra Skotchilenko, arrested in Russia in April 2022, was sentenced to seven years in prison for replacing price tags in a supermarket with messages denouncing the offensive in Ukraine.
According to OVD-Info, almost 20,000 people have been arrested in Russia since February 2022 for resisting the offensive. The NGO Memorial lists 633 political prisoners.
■