Russian-Canadian artist and activist Piotr Verzilov was today sentenced in absentia to 8.5 years in prison for defaming the military of his former homeland.

Judge Natalya Dudar today imposed this sentence on the 36-year-old co-founder of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot for denouncing the massacres of civilians committed during the war in the Ukrainian city of Bucha near Kiev.

The prosecution brought against him was based on four of his posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram about the Butsa massacres.

According to the investigation, the publications contain a message “which is capable of causing an unjustified increase in social tension and harming the interests of Russia.” According to the verdict, Verzilov’s posts “created a real threat of misinforming the public about the aims and objectives of the special military operation”

Russia denies having anything to do with the massacre of hundreds of civilians. Verzilov left Russia before the start of the war.

In early October, the Russian activist had announced that he was joining the Ukrainian armed forces to fight against the Russian invasion that began more than 20 months ago.

He wanted to help Ukraine win against Russia, he had said in an interview with Russian blogger Yuri Dud.

Verzilov resigned from the Mediazona news website he founded to avoid criticism for his pro-Kiev militancy. He had said the site would continue to stand for independent and unbiased journalism.

Together with his theater group “Vaina” (War) Verzilov was for a long time one of the most well-known politicized artists in Russia. The rock band Pussy Riot, which he co-founded, also rose to global prominence denouncing Kremlin policy and persecution of dissidents for years with sharp lyrical songs and music videos.

Feminist group Pussy Riot has just released an anti-war song and music video called ‘Swan Lake’ about the effect of the Russian invasion on children, based on the motif of the Russian ballet ‘Swan Lake’.

(with information from the Mediazona website)