A court in Perm, Russia, has sentenced a local street performer to 60 hours of community service for organizing an outdoor concert to support the detained St. Petersburg street band Stoptime, according to reports from activists on Thursday.
Yekaterina Romanova was involved in arranging a concert on October 22 as a gesture of solidarity with Stoptime and was arrested last Saturday, coinciding with the original date of a second concert.
She is currently serving a seven-day jail term for allegedly refusing to undergo a drug test, a claim that her attorney argues is false.
The Leninsky District Court in Perm found Romanova guilty of “organizing a mass gathering in a public area that caused a disturbance to public order,” resulting in the imposition of 60 hours of community service, as stated by local activist Artyom Faizulin.
Faizulin added, “As absurd as this may appear, this is a relatively lenient sentence, and in the current circumstances, she could nearly be considered fortunate.” He mentioned that Romanova is anticipated to be released this Saturday, unless there are any further arrests.
This sentencing occurs amid intensified police actions against musicians and supporters of Stoptime, whose members faced consecutive jail sentences last month for performing songs by artists classified as “foreign agents.”
The band’s arrests have triggered a series of solidarity concerts and individual protests in various Russian cities, including a petition with 100 signatures submitted to the presidential administration demanding the release of the band members, as well as flyers distributed throughout St. Petersburg.
