Support The Moscow Times!

Trial of Russian Artist for Anti-War Supermarket Protest Begins

Alexey Belozerov (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The trial of Russian artist Sasha Skochilenko, who was arrested in April for an anti-war protest in which she replaced supermarket price tags with information about the death toll in Ukraine, opened at a St. Petersburg court on Thursday.

Skochilenko, 32, who has been held in pre-trial detention for over six months, was charged with spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army after she was identified as the source of the stickers during the early months of the invasion of Ukraine. 

Skochilenko pleaded not guilty to the charges at St Petersburg’s Vasileostrovsky Court on Thursday. 

"I do not admit any guilt that I shared deliberately false information," the artist told the judges in a statement at the opening of the trial. 

If found guilty, Skochilenko could face up to 10 years in prison under quickly drafted legislation that introduced wartime censorship to Russia in the wake of February’s invasion.

Skochilenko, who was included in the BBC’s 2022 list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world, has been designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. 

Skochilenko allegedly swapped out price tags in popular Russian supermarket Perekrestok for information about the Russian missile strike on a drama theater in the occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol in March. 

In an interview with independent Russian media outlet Mediazona, Skochilenko spoke of the dire conditions she had been held in during her confinement as well as a number of health problems that saw her transferred to a medical unit. 

“There is terrible overcrowding in the cells in the building, up to 20 prisoners can be accommodated there,” Skochilenko said. 

If convicted, Skochilenko will be the latest person to have fallen foul of Russia’s military censorship law. Last week opposition politician Ilya Yashin was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in jail by a Moscow court on similar charges. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more