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Russian activist arrested, charged with ‘discrediting’ the army after a one-man anti-war protest

Activist and entrepreneur Dmitry Skurikhin, from the village of Russko-Vysotskoye in the Leningrad region, has been charged with “discrediting” the Russian army for a second time.

According to human rights defense group OVD-Info, the basis of the latest case against the activist was a one-man anti-war picket that he held on February 24, 2023, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At his solo action, he held a sign that read “I’m sorry, Ukraine.”

Human rights activists report that Skurikhin was arrested on February 25 and spent the night in jail. On February 26, a regional court handed down a 25-day prison sentence against the activist.

Dmitry Skurikhin has a long-standing engagement in activism. Since 2014, he has hung more than 200 political posters on the shop he runs in the Leningrad region. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, he has been writing the names of Ukrainian cities suffering particularly grievous consequences from the war.

More on Skurikhin and his store

‘My neighbors fully support me’ The Russian man using the front of his shop to protest against the war

More on Skurikhin and his store

‘My neighbors fully support me’ The Russian man using the front of his shop to protest against the war