A Russian court has sentenced 26-year-old singer Eduard Sharlot to five and a half years in prison for actions considered as protesting Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The court in Samara, located along the Volga River, found Sharlot guilty of “publicly insulting” religious believers and “rehabilitating Nazism,” according to state news agency RIA Novosti. The charges stemmed from videos he posted online.
In one video, Sharlot burned his Russian passport in June 2023 to protest Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. Another video showed him nailing a photo of Patriarch Kirill, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, which has strongly supported the offensive, to a crucifix.
After the conflict began, Sharlot fled Russia for Armenia, but he was arrested upon his return at Saint Petersburg airport in November 2023.
The sentencing reflects Moscow’s growing crackdown on dissent since the military campaign against Ukraine began in February 2022. Numerous individuals have been given lengthy prison sentences for publicly opposing the war.
Russia has implemented stricter laws against domestic dissent, with critics of the Ukraine offensive frequently targeted. Nearly all Kremlin opponents have been either exiled, imprisoned, or silenced.
