Young Russian woman sentenced to nearly three years in a penal colony for political anti-war poetry demonstration
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A St. Petersburg court handed a 19-year-old woman, reverently known as Dasha, a hefty sentence of over two years and eight months in a penal colony for repeatedly "demoralizing" the Russian military.
As per court documents, Dasha was arrested on February 24, 2024, when she glued a handful of poetic verses by Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko onto his very own monument in St. Petersburg. OVD-Info, an independent Russian human rights group, confirmed this report.
The verses from Shevchenko's My Testament read, "Oh bury me, then rise ye up / And break your heavy chains / And water with the tyrants' blood / The freedom you have gained." This poignant call to action by the Ukrainian bard certainly seemed to elude the appreciate gaze of the authorities.
A second case was brought against Dasha in August 2024, following a sit-down with Radio Free Europe. Her candid remarks about Russia's war in Ukraine, deemed "monstrous" and "criminal" by her, sparked a fresh wave of trouble for our young rebel.
During one of her hearings, Dasha stood her ground, insisting that she had merely recited a poem, and paste a quote in Ukrainian, "nothing more," the court press service said.
This fiery spirit was hardly new to her. Back in December 2022, while still in high school, Dasha got caught scrawling a rather fierce message on an installation dedicated to the twinning of the Russian city of St. Petersburg and Ukraine's Mariupol. OVD-Info reported the incident.
She was then fined for "demoralizing" the following year and expelled from university for a post on a Russian social media platform discussing the "imperialist nature of the war," according to Memorial, one of Russia's most respected human rights organizations.
Memorial labeled Dasha as a political prisoner and has been vocally critical of the absurd charges against her. They argued that her detainment was nothing more than a ploy to stifle opposition.
Prosecutors were aiming high, seeking a six-year sentence for Dasha, Russian independent media channel SOTA Vision reported from the courtroom. But, Dasha seemed undaunted, flashing a smile and waving to supporters as she departed the court.
Her lawyer told Reuters that they would likely appeal the verdict.
The verdict faced widespread condemnation, with Amnesty International's Russia Director, Natalia Zviagina, calling it "another chilling reminder of how far the Russian authorities will go to silence peaceful opposition to their war in Ukraine."
Amnesty International demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Daria Kozyreva and all political prisoners held under "war censorship laws," she asserted.
Urgent calls for protests have been circulating on social media platforms, with the hashtag #FreeDariaKozyreva gaining traction among activists worldwide.
Russia has been actively trying to suppress anti-war dissent among its younger generation for quite some time now. According to reports, at least 35 minors have faced politically motivated criminal charges in Russia since 2009. The number skyrocketed to 23 cases since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Currently, well over 1,500 people are estimated to be imprisoned for political beliefs, a number that has escalated exponentially since the war began. Between January 2023 and December 2024, around 20,070 individuals were detained for anti-war views, and there were 9,369 cases of "demoralization," relating to actions including social media posts or wearing clothes bearing Ukrainian flag symbols.
[1] Memorial's support for political prisoners project.[2] Journalists sentenced for extremism in Russia.[3] Prisoner exchange plans between Russia and Ukraine.[4] Prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States. [5] Anti-Navalny crackdown on journalists in Russia.
- Daria Kozyreva, a political prisoner in Russia, was arrested for pasting Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko's quotes on a monument and was sentenced to over two years and eight months in a penal colony for "demoralizing" the Russian military, according to court documents.
- The world's attention is focused on Europe as Russia's suppression of war-and-conflicts-related dissent, especially among the younger generation, is on a steady rise. Reports indicate that at least 23 minors have faced politically motivated criminal charges since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- General news outlets have been following the story of Dasha, a young woman in Russia who, despite being expelled from university and fined for discussing the "imperialist nature of the war," continues to express her opinions on world issues, such as the war in Ukraine, through poems and social media posts.
- Crime-and-justice organizations, like Memorial and Amnesty International, have spoken out against the absurd charges against Dasha and other political prisoners, claiming that their detainment is a deliberate attempt to stifle opposition and silence peaceful voices.
- Amnesty International demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners held under "war censorship laws" and urged the international community to support activists like Dasha, whose powerful words continue to inspire numerous protest movements, including the ongoing #FreeDariaKozyreva campaign on social media platforms.
