Russian poet Artyom Kamardin, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in December for publicly reciting verses condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has rejected an offer to join Russian armed forces invading Ukraine, his supporters said on Telegram on July 17. Kamardin told his wife during a recent visit that he and his cellmates in a Moscow detention center rejected the offer made by representatives of the Defense Ministry. Kamardin was arrested along with two other poets in September 2022 after they presented their anti-war poems in public. One of the other poets, Yegor Shtovba, was sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison. The other, Nikolai Daineko, agreed to cooperate with investigators and was handed a four-year prison term. To read the original story by Current Time, click here.
Russian Poet Imprisoned For Anti-War Verses Rejects Offer To Join Russian Military
Poets Artyom Kamardin (left) and Yegor Shtovba in court in December 2023.