A student was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in Russia for spraying “Death to the regime” during a protest against Vladimir Putin’s government.
Lyubov Lizunova, 17, was arrested under new anti-terrorism and anti-extremism laws sponsored by Putin.
Lyubov, who was 16 when she was arrested, is the youngest person to be sentenced since the legislation was passed. The law also treats the LGBTQIA+ movement as extremist.
She was also accused of endorsing the arson of military registration and enlistment offices, according to the East2West agency, which specializes in Russia and former Soviet republics. Lyubov had been on the Russian secret service’s radar since she was 14 after burning a Russian flag.
The minor, originally from Chita, Siberia, was convicted of “calling for extremism and publishing news about ‘direct action against war'” – which amounts to terrorism in the eyes of the Kremlin.
According to investigators, Lyubov was with her boyfriend, Alexander Snezhkov, then 19, during the graffiti. She also allegedly exchanged “subversive” messages with another man, 23-year-old Vladislav Vishnevsky. The three were added to Russia’s official terrorist list.
Alexander was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Vladislav Vishnevsky received 1 and a half years of community service.
