Following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia introduced war censorship laws to make protest against the invasion a criminal offence. Aleksandra Skochilenko replaced price tags in a local supermarket with small anti-war labels. She has been sentenced to 7 years in prison and is a prisoner of conscience. She needs your support.
What’s the problem?
Aleksandra fills her life with music and art. She loves playing the piano, guitar, mandolin, and flute, and hosting jams for anyone who wants to play music together.
Troubled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she decided to protest. On 31 March 2022, she replaced price tags in a local supermarket in Saint Petersburg with paper labels containing information about the war censored by the authorities.
In the early morning of 11 April, police arrested Aleksandra and charged her with “public dissemination of knowingly false information about the Russian Armed Forces” under Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code, which had been hastily introduced by the Russian government in March 2022 to try and stop people in Russia criticizing the invasion of Ukraine.
On 16 November 2023, Aleksandra Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in prison after a year-long trial.
While in prison, her health condition is rapidly deteriorating. She has coeliac disease and cannot eat any gluten, or she will become extremely ill. Since the detention centre does not provide her with food she can safely eat, she is forced to go hungry much of the time. She has also been diagnosed with a heart disease, a bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
People across Russia like Aleksandra are serving prison sentences for peaceful anti-war dissent. Russia must repeal these restrictive laws and immediately release all those imprisoned for raising their voices against the war of aggression.
What can I do to help?
Send a message of support to Aleksandra Skochilenko now to show her she is not alone. Together we are more powerful.