Search
During closing arguments at the Meshchansky District Court, Prosecutor Malysheva requested a sentence of five years and eleven months in a general regime colony and a fine of 300,000 roubles (approx. US$3,400) for Artemy Ostanin, who is accused of inciting hatred (clause “v” part 2 article 282 of the Russian Criminal Code) and offending the feelings of believers (part 1 article 148 of the Russian Criminal Code). This was reported by Mediazona.
The comedian was removed from today’s hearing before closing arguments for making a motion declaring his arrest unlawful. The judge demanded he stop his speech, but the comedian ignored her.
Before this, he was questioned. Ostanin does not admit guilt. He said that after being detained at Minsk airport, local law enforcement officers took him to Russia, stopping in a forest along the way, where they beat him with batons, used a taser and a bag of sand. The officers also cut off his dreadlocks with a knife and threatened to slit his throat.
The comedian is accused of inciting hatred over a joke about a person with a disability who was injured by a mine, which he performed on the show “Stand-Up in 60 Seconds.” Following this, activists from the pro-government “Call of the People” movement reported him, claiming he “mocked our soldier who lost his legs during the Special Military Operation.” In his performance, the comedian did not mention the war in Ukraine or clarify whether the subject of his joke was connected to it.
The charge of offending the feelings of believers is connected to a joke about Christ, in which Ostanin staged an imaginary dialogue with the following excerpt (quoted from a publication by SOTAvision):
—You know what happened before my crucifixion?
—The prayer in the garden?
He’s like:
—Yeah, ****, the prayer in the garden. Because I’m so parched after last night’s party.
According to the prosecution, to write this joke and prepare the performance, the comedian created an organised criminal group with unknown participants. Ostanin called this version “complete nonsense” and said he performed the joke at his solo show and later posted the recording on YouTube himself. He also said he does not consider the joke offensive.
Ostanin was detained on 17 March 2025 upon arrival in Belarus from Russia. Shortly after, the Telegram channel “Belarusian Law Enforcer” published a photo of the comedian with a shaved head and a meat grinder around his neck—likely a reference to his joke about United Russia members in Murmansk giving meat grinders to mothers of fallen soldiers.
The following day, a Moscow court sent Ostanin to a pretrial detention centre. In court, the comedian talked about being beaten during his detention. According to his defence lawyer, his ribs were broken—causing lung problems—and his spine was injured.