Russian Teen Activist Sentenced to Prison for Criticizing Russian Military

Report By Safarti Tarjuman International Desk

St. Petersburg, April 19, 2025 — A 19-year-old Russian activist, Daria Kozyreva, has been sentenced to two years and eight months in a medium-security penal colony for voicing opposition to the Russian military. also restricts her from publishing online for two and a half years.

Kozyreva, known for her outspoken criticism of the Ukraine war, was initially detained in February 2024 after placing a poem by Ukrainian national poet Taras Shevchenko on his statue in the city. Later, prosecutors added another charge, citing her interview with an international broadcaster following her expulsion from St. Petersburg State University.

In court, Kozyreva rejected the allegations, asserting that her statements merely reflected the consequences of the conflict. “It is not criticism that discredits the military—it is their own actions,” she told the judge during the trial.

In a defiant closing statement, she condemned the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and praised the Ukrainian people for defending their homeland. “Ukraine is a sovereign nation. It deserves the freedom to determine its own path,” she said.

The young activist had previously faced legal action, including a fine and temporary detention, for anti-war social media posts and public messages criticizing the destruction in Mariupol—an occupied Ukrainian city.

Human rights advocates have called her sentencing another example of Russia’s crackdown on dissent. The decision is likely to draw continued international attention to freedom of expression and civil liberties under Russian law.