In April 2025, the Petrograd District Court of St. Petersburg sentenced 19-year-old activist Darya Kozyreva to 2 years and 8 months in a penal colony for the repeated "discreditation" of the Russian army (Article 280.3 Part 1 of the Russian Criminal Code). This case has become one of the most widely discussed anti-war trials in modern Russia — not only because of the defendant’s young age, but also because of the nature of her “crimes”: a poem by Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko and an interview with independent journalists.
What Happened?
Darya Kozyreva, a former student at Saint Petersburg State University (SPbSU), was expelled after her first administrative offense. On February 24, 2024, the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she was detained for pasting a printed excerpt of Shevchenko’s poem Testament on the monument to the poet in St. Petersburg.
The excerpt read:
"Bury me, then rise,
Break your chains
And with hostile blood
Sprinkle freedom!"
(This is a translation by Soviet poet Alexander Tvardovsky, widely known in Russia.)
Police were unable to remove the paper immediately and instead covered it with a garbage bag. Initially, Darya was charged with disobeying police orders, then with an administrative violation under the law on discrediting the army. But due to a prior fine for a 2022 VKontakte post criticizing the war, the case was escalated to a criminal charge for repeat offense.
Second Charge: The Interview
While under investigation, the authorities added a second charge — her interview with independent outlet Sever.Realii, in which Darya openly expressed her anti-war stance. Prosecutors claimed the interview constituted a “public act of discreditation”, even though the journalists were responsible for publishing it.
In court, Darya didn’t deny her anti-war position but rejected the charges of discreditation:
"An army that kills civilians discredits itself."
She emphasized that her actions were a moral choice, a matter of conscience, not a crime.
The Trial
The trial took place under increased secrecy. Some hearings were held behind closed doors, with prosecutors citing “state secrets.” Still, Darya’s defense was able to call several expert witnesses, including linguists who challenged the prosecution’s psycho-linguistic analysis.
One key issue: the analysis was based not on Shevchenko’s original Ukrainian poem, but on Tvardovsky’s Russian translation, which experts argued made the conclusions invalid and unprofessional.
Prosecution Behavior & Pressure
During the trial, Prosecutor Mikhail Russkikh sought the maximum sentence of 6 years and made several controversial remarks, including implications about the ethnic background of defense experts. He asked for one expert’s patronymic, “Veniaminovich,” in a way that many interpreted as a dog whistle targeting his Jewish heritage. This caused outrage among human rights observers.
The prosecution also alleged that Kozyreva was "linked to foreign opposition forces," though it provided no concrete evidence. Darya called herself a patriot — “but not in the sense propaganda uses the word.”
Public Reaction
The case sparked intense debate in Russian media and social networks. Dozens of people — students, journalists, activists — came to the hearings in support. Darya’s courtroom speeches were published by human rights outlets and cited in international media.
For many, Darya became a symbol of Russia’s young, dissenting generation — those unafraid to speak out, even under threat.
"They won’t shut me up. I consider it beneath my dignity to stay silent just because I’m told to."
"What is dead may never die. The ‘discreditation of the Russian army’ is an oxymoron."
What’s Next?
Darya Kozyreva’s defense team is preparing an appeal. Meanwhile, Russian and international human rights organizations are calling for increased attention to her case. Groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have previously condemned “discreditation” laws as tools of political repression and speech suppression.
Despite pressure, Darya remains remarkably resilient:
"I’ll know that in 2022, 2023, and 2024, I didn’t stay silent.
Maybe it won’t change anything, but I’ll still be a human being.
I want to be free — even if they lock my body behind bars."
