St. Petersburg artist Sasha Skochilenko's arrest was extended until August 1

The Vasileostrovsky District Court of St. Petersburg extended the arrest of the artist Sasha Skochilenko, accused in the case of “fakes” about the Russian army ( clause “e”, part 2 of article 207.3 of the Criminal Code ), until August 1. This was reported by the United Press Service of the city courts.

According to investigators, Skochilenko replaced the price tags in the Perekrestok store with leaflets with information about the shelling of the Mariupol drama theater and the death of civilians. The investigator considers the disseminated information to be false, and the action itself to be committed based on political hostility.

The girl admitted distributing the leaflets, but does not consider herself guilty and denies that she disseminated false information.

At first, the pre-trial detention center refused to accept a parcel containing gluten-free products that she needed for medical reasons. In addition, the girl was subjected to bullying from fellow inmates.

At the beginning of May, Skolichenko’s conditions of detention improved : she was transferred to a double cell with another neighbor and provided with hot, gluten-free meals.

• Since February 24—the first day of the “special operation” in Ukraine—residents of Russian cities have been going out to anti-war rallies every day and talking about the tragedy online. Anti-war speeches and statements become grounds for criminal prosecution. At the moment, more than 180 people have become defendants in criminal cases initiated due to protest against the war with Ukraine. Read more about this in our guide .
• Article 207.3 (Public dissemination of knowingly false information about the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation) was included in the Criminal Code in March 2022 - in this way the authorities responded to anti-war speeches and statements, as well as the dissemination of information about the war that does not come from official Russian sources. The maximum penalty under the article is ten years in prison.