Russian law enforcement agencies detained stand-up comedian Artemy Ostanin at the border with Belarus when he tried to leave the country. The reason for the detention was his jokes about russian military personnel who had lost limbs.
This is reported by russian media.
The Investigative Committee of Moscow has opened a criminal case against Ostanin under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the russian federation - "incitement of hatred and humiliation of human dignity". This article is often used in russia to combat undesirable speech and provides for a penalty of imprisonment.
The incident occurred after the comedian's performance in one of the Moscow bars, where he joked about Russian military personnel who had been maimed and disabled. After a wave of criticism in the russian media, Ostanin did not give up his words and continued to joke on his Telegram channel, which probably became the reason for the launching of a criminal case.
The Investigative Committee of Moscow has published a video of the interrogation, in which Ostanin apologizes.
"I had no intention of hurting anyone's feelings, threatening violence or inciting hatred. I offer my sincere apologies," the detained comedian says.
Artemy Ostanin after his detention. Photo: screenshot of the video
If the court finds the comedian guilty, he faces up to six years in prison.
As previously reported, the famous stand-up comedian Slava Komissarenko was sentenced to 6 years in prison in Belarus.
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