Artemy Ostanin
Artemy Ostanin, born 1996, Moscow. Charges: Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code (Public insult of religious feelings); Article 282 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Incitement of hatred or enmity (with violence, using official position, or by a group)); “Artemy Ostanin's case of incitement to hatred and offending the feelings of believers”. Sentence (February 4, 2026): 5 years and 9 months in a general regime colony and a fine of 300,000 rubles. Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since March 18, 2025; place of detention: Pre-trial detention centre No. 7, Moscow. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, June 23, 2025.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Artists · Extremism cases
Sentence
5 years 9 months
5 years and 9 months in a general regime colony and a fine of 300,000 rubles
Upheld October 9, 2026
Charges
- Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code — Public insult of religious feelings
- Article 282 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Incitement of hatred or enmity (with violence, using official position, or by a group)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, "having extensive knowledge in the field of religious studies, seeking to create publicity around his own persona", no later than on 7 March 2024, he "created an organised criminal group to develop and produce derogatory short speeches". Unidentified individuals assisted him in writing the material and in filming and editing his performances. "He made negative and insulting statements about a participant in the special military operation." The base for the accusation of insulting the feelings of believers was a joke with the following text: "I turned to Jesus, he answered me, come to think of it. We sat down, had a drink <...> He said, I brought information to people. What did they do to me? [They] Crucified [me]. Do you know what happened before I was crucified? Praying for the cup, because it dries up badly after partying."
Latest event
October 9, 2026 — new court ruling
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, June 23, 2025
Timeline
· Court ruling
guilty verdict
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 5 years 9 months
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Preventive measure: placement in a temporary detention facility
· Persecution begins
Artemy Ostanin's case of incitement to hatred and offending the feelings of believers
Criminal case
Artemy Ostanin's case of incitement to hatred and offending the feelings of believers
- Case number
- 01-0873/2025
Thematic group: The case of the organised criminal group of preparing jokes offensive to the feelings of believers
Write a letter
Facility: Pre-trial detention centre No. 7, Moscow
Address (in Russian, as written on the envelope)
109382, г. Москва, ул. Верхние Поля, д. 57, ФКУ СИЗО-7 ГУФСИН России по г. Москве ("Капотня"), Останин Артемий Романович, 1996 г.р.
Details and sources
Full summary
Resident of Moscow, stand-up comedian. In March 2025, he was prosecuted for incitement to hatred. The reason was his joke about a man who lost his legs due to a landmine explosion, with whom he had a conflict in the metro. The case was initiated after the statement of the movement "Call of the People". According to the investigation, Ostanin "made negative and insulting comments about a participant of a special military operation." The comedian himself claims that his joke had nothing to do with the war, and the man he joked about was "a beggar in the underground who has been skateboarding without legs for about 20 years".
On 18 March 2025, Ostanin was detained in Belarus. When detained, he was shorn of his hair and put not only in handcuffs but also a meat grinder - apparently related to one of his recent speeches, in which he ironised about the fact that in Murmansk region mothers of war dead were given meat grinders. The defence lawyer stated that Ostanin was severely beaten during his detention. On 19 March he was taken into custody in Moscow.
In December 2025 it became known that Ostanin was also accused of offending the feelings of believers because of a joke about Christ.
On 4 February 2026, the court sentenced him to five years and nine months in a general regime colony and a fine of 300 thousand rubles.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
Other people prosecuted under Article 148 part 1, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.