Russian judge postpones hearing in case against anti-war protester Sasha Skochilenko after audience ‘claps too hard’ for defense lawyer’s speech

The judge in the Russian authorities’ case against St. Petersburg artist Sasha Skochilenko, who was arrested in April 2022 for placing anti-war messages on price tags in a store, postponed her hearing on Monday after the audience “clapped too hard” in response to a speech by her lawyer.

Among other things, Skochilenko’s lawyer, Yana Nepovinnova, said that the case against her defendant “would have seemed barbaric just a few years ago.” She continued:

You can’t punish a person for dissent, for feeling differently. You can’t punish someone for objective criticism of the authorities and their decisions. They can’t punish someone for a mistake. [...] I’ll conclude my speech with a quote from my defendant, [Sasha] Skochilenko: ‘This is a test of your humanity. You’ve been given a chance to pass it.’

After attendees began applauding, the judge, Oksana Demyasheva, started shouting for them to be quiet. She then ordered the bailiffs to remove the people who had “clapped too loud,” saying the hearing wouldn’t continue until they were gone, and exited the room herself.

Later, Demyasheva returned to the court and said the trial will continue on November 14 and will be held behind closed doors.

On November 8, prosecutors requested that Skochilenko be sentenced to eight years in prison.