Anastasia Berezhinskaya, a Moscow-based theatre director was found guilty of two wartime censorship laws
A Moscow military court has sentenced a 43-year-old woman to eight years in a penal colony for posting anti-war comments online, including calls for the assassination of President Vladimir Putin, according to Russian news agencies.
Anastasia Berezhinskaya, a theatre director and mother of two, was convicted under Russia’s wartime censorship laws for discrediting the military, spreading false information about it, and justifying terrorism. The charges stemmed from her online posts criticizing Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
According to rights group OVD-Info, over 1,000 people in Russia have faced criminal charges for opposing the war in Ukraine, and more than 20,000 have been detained for protests. Earlier this week, a Moscow court sentenced a 68-year-old pediatrician to five-and-a-half years in prison after a patient’s mother reported her for critical comments about Russian soldiers.
Berezhinskaya had been vocal in her opposition to the war, publishing numerous posts condemning the invasion in its early months. She accused the Russian military and President Putin of committing “genocide” against Ukrainians. On May 14, 2022, she posted extensively on VKontakte, a Russian social media platform, blaming Putin for civilian deaths in Ukraine and calling for his death.
Russia denies targeting civilians in what it calls its “special military operation,” though thousands have died in its attacks.
Berezhinskaya admitted partial guilt under the charges, according to independent outlet Mediazona, but fully accepted the accusations of spreading false information and discrediting the army. She reportedly suffers from a mixed personality disorder and has a family including two young children and a husband with epilepsy.
In her final statement to the court, Berezhinskaya said: “Your Honour, I have nothing to say, nothing to add. I will accept any decision you make.” Her lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment on whether an appeal would be filed.