Russian Artist Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Swapping Supermarket Price Tags with Antiwar Messages

A Russian court on Thursday convicted an artist and musician for swapping supermarket price tags with antiwar messages, sentencing her to seven years in prison in one of the highest-profile cases involving the recent crackdown on free speech.

Sasha Skochilenko was arrested in her native St. Petersburg in April 2022 and charged with spreading false information about the military after replacing price tags with ones that decried Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"The Russian army bombed an arts schools in Mariupol. Some 400 people were hiding in it from the shelling," one read. Another said, "Russian conscripts are being sent to Ukraine. Lives of our children are the price of this war."

Skochilenko's arrest came about a month after authorities adopted a law effectively criminalizing any public expression about the war that deviates from the official Kremlin line. The legislation has been used in a widespread crackdown on opposition politicians, human rights activists and ordinary citizens critical of the Kremlin, with many receiving lengthy prison terms.

Skochilenko, 33, has not denied replacing the price tags but rejected the accusation of spreading knowingly false information.

According to her lawyer Yana Nepovinnova, Skochilenko did not have any intention to insult the military. Instead, she wanted to put an end to the fighting. "She is a person who empathizes deeply and promotes peace. The word 'war' and the suffering of people are the most terrible things in her eyes," Nepovinnova told The Associated Press last week.

In her final statement in court on Thursday, Skochilenko, as quoted by Russian independent news site Mediazona, described the case against her as "weird and ridiculous." She even mentioned that officials at the detention facility where she is held were surprised by the nature of her imprisonment, exclaiming, "Is this really what people are being imprisoned for now?"

Skochilenko further claimed that an investigator working on her case quit his job, stating to one of her lawyers that he "didn't join the Investigative Committee to work on cases like (the one) against Sasha Skochilenko."

In a courtroom filled with supporters, Skochilenko addressed the judge, asserting, "Everyone can see and know that you're not trying a terrorist. You're not trying an extremist. You're not trying a political activist. You're trying a pacifist."

Russian Activist's Detention Raises Concerns About Medical Care

Aleksandra Skochilenko, a Russian activist, has been held for nearly 19 months before her trial, resulting in a reduction of more than two years from her overall term. This is because every day served in a pre-trial detention center counts as 1.5 days of time served in a regular penal colony.

However, Skochilenko has faced difficulties during her custody due to various health problems, including a congenital heart defect, bipolar disorder, and celiac disease, which requires a gluten-free diet. Her lawyers and partner have expressed concerns about her well-being.

While Skochilenko was held in St. Petersburg, she had access to visits from outside doctors. However, the situation is uncertain if she is transferred to a more remote penal colony, according to her partner, Sofya Subbotina.

"There's a huge fear that Sasha will end up without medical help," Subbotina added.

Skochilenko's case has gained international attention, with Memorial, Russia's most prominent human rights group and the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner, declaring her a political prisoner. Amnesty International has also declared Skochilenko "a prisoner of conscience," defining it as someone who is imprisoned solely because of who they are and has not used or advocated violence or hatred.

Hundreds Charged for Antiwar Stances

According to OVD-Info, a prominent rights group that monitors political arrests and provides legal aid, a total of 19,834 Russians have been arrested between February 24, when the war began, and late October 2023 for speaking out or demonstrating against the war.

A total of approximately 750 individuals have been charged with criminal offenses due to their opposition to the war, while over 8,100 individuals have faced minor charges related to discrediting the army, which can result in a fine or a brief period of imprisonment.

Significant prison sentences have been given in several high-profile cases. Ilya Yashin, a prominent figure in the opposition, was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison on similar charges, just like Dmitry Ivanov, an activist from Moscow. Alexei Gorinov, a colleague of Yashin on the Moscow municipal council, received a seven-year sentence.

Russians who were convicted in absentia, such as cookbook author Veronika Belotserkovskaya and TV journalist and former lawmaker Alexander Nevzorov, also received similar sentences. Furthermore, opposition politician Vladimir Milov, who is an ally of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny and previously served as Russia's deputy energy minister, was convicted in absentia for spreading false information about the army and was sentenced to eight years. Milov has already left Russia.

Skochilenko's 7-year sentence comes a month after a court in Moscow handed a former state TV journalist an 8 1/2-year prison term in absentia for protesting the war in Ukraine. Marina Ovsyannikova, who was charged with spreading false information about the Russian army, was detained and placed under house arrest, but managed to escape to France with her daughter. Russian authorities put her on a wanted list and prosecuted and tried her in absentia.

Last month, Paris prosecutors opened an investigation into the suspected poisoning.