Russian court extends jailing of teenage singer over street performance of anti-war songs

A Russian court on Tuesday extended the detention of an 18-year-old street musician whose arrest is widely viewed as retaliation for performing anti-war songs. Human rights groups say her case reflects the increasingly harsh crackdown on free expression since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Diana Loginova, a music student who performs under the stage name Naoko as part of the band Stoptime, was ordered to remain in custody for another 13 days for allegedly violating public order during an October street performance in St. Petersburg. It is her third consecutive sentence, and she has been held since October 15.

Loginova was also fined for “discrediting the Russian armed forces.” Another member of Stoptime, Alexander Orlov, has received similar punishments. Both musicians deny any wrongdoing.

Amnesty International described their repeated detentions as “carousel arrests” designed to keep the performers imprisoned without initiating more serious criminal charges.

Rights advocates say the musicians were targeted because they performed songs by artists who openly opposed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and later fled the country. Videos of crowds singing along to lyrics criticizing the Kremlin went viral, prompting pro-government activists to demand police action.

“The repeated arrests of Naoko and her bandmates serve as punishment for public performances that offer a rare breath of fresh air in a country stifled by repression and self-censorship,” said Denis Krivosheev of Amnesty International.

He called for the immediate and unconditional release of Loginova, Orlov and other street artists detained for peaceful anti-war expression. “Their only ‘crime’ is singing songs that challenge the suffocating official narrative.”

The Stoptime case has sparked solidarity performances in several Russian cities, many of which have resulted in fines or arrests.

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, authorities have sharply intensified efforts to silence dissent — targeting NGOs, independent journalists, civil society groups, LGBTQ+ activists and various religious communities. Hundreds have been jailed, and thousands have fled.