An 18-year-old street musician has been arrested in Saint Petersburg, Russia, for the third time. Diana Loginova, who performs under the stage name Naoko, is a Russian music student who has been protesting the invasion of Ukraine by staging public pop-up concerts and singing anti-war songs. Many of the songs were by exiled Russian artists.
Loginova was already arrested last month, according to a report from CBS News. She served two 13-day sentences for “disrupting public order” and “petty hooliganism.” The recent arrest comes immediately after the earlier sentences were fulfilled. Loginova will serve another 13 days in jail for organizing a mass public gathering of people.
This is what human rights lawyers call a judicial “carousel.” By charging someone with several minor offenses in succession, they are caught in a loop that keeps them in continued custody.
Loginova first gained attention after videos of her street concerts went viral on social media. Since then, many other young artists have spoken up in her defense and in solidarity. She is also a member of the band Stoptime, and some of her bandmates have risked arrest as well.
Russian Music Student Stuck in Endless Custody “Carousel”
The guitarist for Stoptime, Alexander Orlov, was also arrested. He was sentenced to 13 days in jail as well. In the city of Perm, 900 miles outside of Saint Petersburg, 20-year-old Yekaterina Romanova was sentenced to 15 days in jail for her own concerts in support of Loginova. She added that to an earlier 7-day sentence at the start of the month.
In March 2019, Russia implemented new censorship laws that targeted “blatant disrespect” toward the army, President Vladimir Putin, and Russia’s national symbols. Repeat offenders earned short-term jail sentences. Following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia significantly tightened the existing restrictions.
The new laws made speaking out against the government or the armed forces punishable by up to 15 years in prison. In a bid to crack down on “fake news” about the war, the laws criminalized independent reporting and protesting. Authorities also banned the descriptions “war” and “invasion” when referring to the conflict in Ukraine.
There have been tens of thousands of arrests since these laws were passed. In September, five members of the exiled Russian punk band/art collective Pussy Riot were sentenced to prison in absentia. They have long faced issues with the Russian government due to public protests, anti-military imagery, and general expressions of dissent. The sentences range from 8 to 13 years, but would only take effect if any of the defendants returned to Russia. In a statement, the members rejected the sentencing, calling it politically motivated.
Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images
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