Russia jails stand-up comic Artemy Ostani over war joke

Russian stand-up comedian Artemy Ostanin was sentenced to over five years in a penal colony by a Moscow court on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, after being convicted of inciting hatred. The charges stem from a 2025 comedy routine where Ostanin joked about a war veteran who lost his legs, a performance that went viral and sparked outrage among Russian nationalists. Ostanin was also found guilty of offending Christians with a separate joke about Jesus. In addition to the prison sentence, Ostanin received a fine and was placed on a government list of designated "terrorists and extremists." He denounced the proceedings as unjust and denied his joke referred to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.