Russia: Poets jailed for reading their anti-war poetry in public designated prisoners of conscience

Commenting on Amnesty International’s designation of Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko as prisoners of conscience – poets imprisoned in 2022 for reading their anti-war poetry in public – Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“What crime have these men committed? Reading poetry in public cannot threaten national security, nor did their poems express prohibited forms of hatred or contain calls to violence. Quite the opposite – the messaging was anti-violence and anti-Russia’s war of aggression. Their imprisonment is nothing but retaliation for daring to express their views.

“Even more disgraceful is the torture, including brutal sexualised violence that Artyom Kamardin was subjected to, as well as their ongoing imprisonment in inhuman or degrading conditions.

“Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

“The Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release them and quash their convictions. Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment must be promptly, independently and effectively investigated, and those responsible brought to justice in fair trials.”

Brutal sentences

The anti-war poetry readings were held on 25 September 2022, in front of the statue of poet Vladimir Mayakovsky in Moscow.

Three days later, Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko, were detained on remand as suspects in a criminal case of “incitement of hatred and enmity with a threat to use violence” (Article 282(2)(a) of the Criminal Code). Artyom Kamardin was reportedly subjected to torture, including sexualised violence, during his arrest and search of his flat. Despite documented injuries, he was denied adequate medical care. The three were charged in October 2022. The charge was later changed to “incitement of hatred done as an organised group” (Article 282(2)(v)). In March 2023, they were additionally charged with “public calls to actions directed against the state security” (Article 280.4(3)).

In December 2023, Artyom Kamardin and Yegor Shtovba were sentenced to seven and five-and-a-half years’ imprisonment respectively. Nikolai Dayneko, who entered a guilty plea, was sentenced to four years in a penal colony in May 2023. Their sentences were later upheld on appeal.