A judge in St. Petersburg sentenced 19-year-old anti-war activist Daria Kozyreva to nearly three years in prison on Friday for repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian military.
Petrogradsky District Court Judge Dmitry Ovrakh ordered Kozyreva to serve two years and eight months at a medium-security penal colony and banned her from publishing anything on the internet for two and a half years. Prosecutors sought a six-year prison sentence.
Kozyreva was arrested in February 2024 after she attached a poem by Ukrainian writer Taras Shevchenko to his monument in St. Petersburg.
Law enforcement authorities brought a second charge against Kozyreva in August, citing her in interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) following her expulsion from St. Petersburg State University. Kozyreva denied the charges in court on Friday.
“My opinion is that the army discredited itself after the full-scale invasion, so any statement against it will discredit nothing,” she was quoted as saying by the exiled news outlet Mediazona.
In her final statement in court, Kozyreva condemned the February 2022 invasion and applauded Ukrainians for “defending their homeland.”
“Ukraine is a free country, a free nation, and it will decide its own destiny,” she said. “It is clear that Putin cannot get his head around the idea that Ukraine is a sovereign nation.”
Kozyreva was released from pre-trial detention in February under restrictions barring her from leaving home at night, using the internet or speaking to the press until Dec. 2. In 2023, she was fined 30,000 rubles ($365) for an anti-war social media post and expelled from university.
The year before, Kozyreva was arrested for writing “Murderers, you bombed it to rubble. Judases” on a public installation symbolizing the “brotherhood” between St. Petersburg and Mariupol — an occupied Ukrainian city that was largely destroyed in a Russian siege.
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.
Remind me later.
