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Alexei and Olesya Ovchinnikov, a family couple living in the city of Krasnodar in the Russian south, were arrested in a restaurant for making anti-war statements in a private conversation and sentenced to a fine (for the wife) and 15 days in jail (for the husband). Mediazona reports the verdict citing their defense counsel.
The penalties were imposed on the charges of petty hooliganism. According to the lawyer, Ovchinnikova was also charged with “public discrediting of the Russian army” but the verdict is yet to be passed.
On January 30, Olesya and Alexei were aggressively detained by the police in the Na Drovakh restaurant, following a report from another customer, who was outraged by their anti-war sentiment, Kavkazsky Uzel reports. The police put the spouses face down on the floor and cuffed them before taking them into custody. A petty hooliganism report was drawn up, and the Ovchinnikovs spent the night of January 31 in custody despite having a young child (a nine-year-old daughter). Olesya was subsequently released to take care of the child.
Footage of their arrest posted subsequently on Telegram features handcuffed Olesya sitting on the floor and refusing to shut up, saying: “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes, glory to Zelensky!”