Russian artist describes mistreatment during seven-year sentence over anti-war protest
Russian activist and artist Aleksandra “Sasha” Skochilenko says she endured severe mistreatment in detention after replacing five supermarket price tags with anti-war messages in April 2022. Her case shows how a small act of protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to a lengthy prison sentence and serious concerns about the treatment of detainees.
Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in November 2023 for “spreading false information” about Russian forces. She says police seized her after luring her to a friend’s home, and that during detention she lacked essential medicines for coeliac disease, bipolar disorder and a heart condition. She also describes being left with little food she could safely eat and prisoners drinking contaminated water; the supplied article text ends before her account is complete.
- Five anti-war price tags led to a seven-year sentence.
- Skochilenko describes harsh conditions in detention.
- Her health needs and access to suitable food were unmet.
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In April 2022, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, artist and activist Aleksandra “Sasha” Skochilenko replaced five supermarket price labels with messages opposing the war. Russian authorities prosecuted her under a law against spreading what they describe as false information about the armed forces.
Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in November 2023. Her case has drawn attention to how Russian authorities handle anti-war dissent and to the conditions detainees face, including access to food and essential medicines.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “My two-year hell in Putin prison: Woman reveals rape terror, and how she was starved, frozen and psychologically tortured… because of an anti-war sticker”.