Russia without mercy

Couple sent to penal colony for napkins

A grocery store in Russia(Bild: stock.adobe)

Two Russians are now facing several years in prison for allegedly placing "notes" with pro-Ukrainian messages on the shelves of a supermarket chain. The charge is terrorism.

According to the indictment, the jeweller Aleksandr D. and the artist Anastasija D. allegedly "deliberately placed messages critical of the war on fish sticks, a packet of sweets and a mat for drying dishes". Allegedly, the call "Putin to the gallows" was also included.

The pair were interrogated by the feared domestic intelligence service FSB, which is known for its not exactly squeamish methods, writes the Russian non-governmental organization OVD-Info. The two have now each been sentenced to three years in prison. The lawyers are outraged by numerous procedural violations and inconsistencies in the witness statements.

The suffering of Sascha Skotschilenko
The case is reminiscent of the fate of artist Sasha Skochilenko: the young Russian woman was sentenced to seven years in a penal colony in November after she put anti-war notices instead of price tags on goods in a grocery store.

For the 33-year-old, the prison sentence is particularly distressing. She suffers from coeliac disease, but is not given gluten-free food in prison. Skochilenko now has to live her life in constant agony. Many doctors are calling for her immediate release - but so far without success.