A St Petersburg court fined Russian street musician Diana Loginova 30,000 roubles for discrediting Russia’s military by performing songs by banned artists.
ST PETERSBURG: An 18-year-old Russian street musician has been found guilty of discrediting the country’s army after performing anti-Kremlin songs in public.
Diana Loginova, who performs under the name Naoko with her band Stoptime, was fined 30,000 roubles, equivalent to approximately $369, by a St Petersburg court.
The music student had previously served a 13-day jail sentence for organising an unauthorised gathering that blocked access to a metro station.
Authorities charged her with the additional administrative offence upon completion of her initial jail term.
This new charge specifically related to her public performance of the song “You are a soldier” by the artist Monetochka.
Monetochka currently lives abroad and was placed on Russia’s wanted list last year while being designated a foreign agent.
Loginova was not released from custody following Tuesday’s court ruling according to a Reuters reporter present.
Interior Ministry officers instead transported her from the courthouse in a civilian vehicle.
The musician first gained viral attention earlier this month after video showed her performing Noize MC’s “Swan Lake Cooperative” on St Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospekt.
Noize MC, who lives in Lithuania and is openly critical of the Kremlin, had his song banned by Russian authorities in May.
Russian officials claimed the song contained hostile attitudes and promoted violent constitutional changes.
Last week saw another street musician, Yevgeny Mikhailov, jailed for 14 days in Yekaterinburg for performing songs by Noize MC and other anti-Kremlin artists.
Mikhailov performed these songs in support of Loginova and her bandmates according to reports.
Independent news outlet Mediazona reported that Mikhailov was found guilty of petty hooliganism and discrediting the Russian army. – Reuters
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