After the partial mobilization, not only do tens of thousands of Russians flee, some also opt for peaceful protest. Three of them are now being arrested. The reason: They took part in an event in front of a statue of the poet Mayakovsky, where poems critical of the war were recited.
In Russia, three young men are in custody after reciting a poem at a protest event against partial mobilization. A court detained Artjom Kamardin, Igor Shtovba and Nikolaj Dainenko for two months on Wednesday, the human rights organization OVD-Info said.
She is being investigated for “incitement to hatred with the threat of violence”. If charged and convicted, they face six years in prison.
The three young men took part in a reading in front of a statue of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky in Moscow on Sunday. As can be seen on a YouTube video, a man said at the beginning of the reading that it was an action against mobilization. Kamardin then contributed his critical poem “Kill me, militiaman!” before.
On Monday, Kamardin was arrested during a search of his home. According to his lawyer, he was beaten and raped with a dumbbell while in police custody.
Dainenko was arrested during the reading and fined for taking part in an unauthorized demonstration. After his release, he was arrested again on Monday, according to OVD-Info.
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the partial mobilization of 300,000 reservists for deployment in Ukraine. The decision had sparked protests across the country, as well as a rush by Russian men to neighboring countries.
