A Russian court today sentenced Russian singer Eduard Charlotte to five and a half years in prison for criticizing the attack on Ukraine in videos posted online.

A court in the 26-year-old’s hometown of Samara found him guilty of “publicly insulting the religious feelings of believers” and “restoring Nazism,” state news agency Ria Novosti reported.

The singer, who is popular with young people, released a video clip in June 2023 in which he appeared to burn his Russian ID in protest of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In other video clips he was seen ripping off a ribbon with orange and black stripes in the shape of a “Z”, the symbol of the Russian armed forces, or pinning to a cross the photo of Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who had supported the military operation.

After the start of the war, the young singer left Russia to settle in Armenia, but later returned and was arrested in November 2023 upon arrival at St. Petersburg airport. During the trial, he pleaded guilty and repented of his actions.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, thousands of Russians have been punished, threatened or imprisoned for their opposition to the war.

Trials for “terrorism”, “sabotage”, “treason” or “espionage” have also proliferated, and in most cases very heavy sentences are imposed.

Almost all leading opposition figures are in prison or abroad, while in February the opposition movement lost its leading figure, Alexei Navalny, who died in prison under circumstances that have not yet been clarified.