A Moscow State University student who named his wi-fi network ‘Slava Ukraini!’ − which means ‘Glory to Ukraine!’− has been sentenced to 10 days in jail.
A Moscow court found him guilty of displaying ‘symbols of extremist organisations’, according to the BBC.
The student was arrested last week after a police officer reported the network name to authorities.
According to court documents, officers inspected his dormitory room, and found his personal computer and a wi-fi router.
The court said he had used the network to ‘promote the slogan “Slava Ukraini!” to an unlimited number of users within wi-fi range’.
The student was found guilty of ‘public demonstration of Nazi symbolism… or symbols of extremist organisations’. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made baseless claims about a ‘neo-Nazi regime’ in Ukraine, and used it to justify his invasion.
The BBC reports that the student is the latest in a long list of ordinary Russians who have been punished for their comments − or actions − about the war. Last month, hundreds of people were detained for simply laying flowers in memory of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic Circle prison.
According to Amnesty International, last year more than 21 000 people were targeted by Russia’s ‘repressive laws’ used to ‘crack down on anti-war activists’.
[Image: Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay]