Two poets, Artyom Kamardin and Yegor Shtovba, remain imprisoned in Russia as of Friday, on charges related to their reading of anti-war poems. This has been an ongoing matter since December 2023, when a Moscow court sentenced Kamardin to seven years and Shtovba to five and a half years in prison.

The court declared both poets’ participation in an anti-war event led to a criminal investigation and eventually criminal charges, under Articles 282(2)(v) and 280.4(3) of the Criminal Code, “calling for actions aimed against the State security” or “inciting hatred or enmity or humiliating the dignity of a person or a group of persons, committed by an organized group.”

The UN raised concern over the lack of freedom of expression in Russia, and use of the judicial system to advance the ongoing repression, thereby harming the rule of law. Mariana Katazrova, the UN special Rapporteur for the Russian Federatin, said: “The sentence by the Tverskoy District Court of Moscow reveals systemic issues concerning the integrity of law enforcement and judicial systems in Russia and their use to suppress dissent and criticism, especially regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine.”

This is not a singular event. In September 2022, Russian authorities were reported to have tortured an imprisoned Ukrainian soldier. Similarly, Amnesty International found Kamardin “was reportedly subjected to torture, including sexualized violence,” in violation of international law, including the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 3.

This reign of constant abuse of power from the state is facilitated by a lack of checks and balances. Without independent oversight from the judiciary or meaningful accountability mechanisms, the state is able to act without restraint, silencing opposition and undermining fundamental human rights.